Catania

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

sight
The façade with a play on colour

foto bicromiaOf all the wonders of Piazza Duomo, the cathedral certainly does not go unnoticed.
Thanks to a play on colour between the white limestone and grey lava stone, the façade figures prominently in the square.
The two colours alternate with one another to create a perfect harmony that adds liveliness to the façade.
The colours are not always the same; at different times of the day they shine differently depending on the light.

touch
Coarse to smooth, hot to cold

Look but don’t touch! How many times have you heard this said in museums or churches?
But if you could touch each material that made up the church you would notice how different they are; starting with the pillars that separate the central nave from the lateral naves, the former in lava stone and the latter in white limestone.
On a hot summer day, the outside walls will be much warmer than those inside, which will be undoubtedly cold.

hearing
Music in the Cathedral

foto dell'organo l'interno della cattedraleThe church has an unbreakable bond with music.
The cathedral of St. Agatha is not only home to a magnificent organ, now located above the entrance, but the tomb of the musician Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835).
Though he died very young, he was recognised as one of the greatest composers of his time.
The artist’s tomb was created in 1876 by Giovanni Battista Tassara and is located next to one of the pillars of the right nave.
Bellini was initially buried in Paris at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

taste
A dessert for a saint

During the feast dedicated to St. Agatha, the “Minne di Sant’Agata”, a dessert made in her honour, are another must.
The shape is unambiguously reminiscent of a woman’s breast, in memory of the terrible martyrdom suffered by the saint.
The dessert consists of a shortcrust pastry shell covered with white icing with a candied cherry on top; the filling is made with sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta, candied fruit and dark chocolate. Yum! Not to be missed if you happen to be in Catania during the feast. foto dei dolci delle minne di Sant'Agata

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A prominent church

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The internal colours

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The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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The disastrous earthquake

A talking palace

From International Gothic to present day

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Two illustrious patron saints

Many owners, one palace

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A triumph of colour

A city in colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new church

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The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Burgos crucifix

The chocolate of Modica

One city, three sites

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The senses tell the story of the Badia di Sant’Agata

The Maiolica of the staircase

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One city, two sites

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Between white and black

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The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The theatre of taste

A half-Baroque church

A feast only for Scicli

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Prominent façade

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The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A symbol for the town

Some prestigious works

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Wonderful quick decorations

Norman apses

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