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

The Staircase of Angels

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The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

The senses tell the story of the church of Santa Maria del Carmelo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Norman apses

A feast only for Scicli

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The city of museums

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The colours of the cathedral

The internal colours

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

From the contrast of the exterior to the internal jubilation of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Discovering the mother church

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The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A hall for the feasts

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Some masterpieces

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Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

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A long reconstruction

The wall comes to life

The façade used as a puppet theatre

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feasting in Palazzolo

The chocolate of Modica

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte

Feast days

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new site for a new city

A museum to save a tradition

One city, three sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Searching for colour

A new site for a new church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A prominent church

A colourful floor

The Burgos crucifix

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

Freedom of worship and the role of the Catholic Church in the diffusion of Baroque

A miniature city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

An eagle-shaped city

A square as the heart of the city

The interior and its masterpieces

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A symbol for the town

The two churches

Between white and black

Church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) on Via dei Crociferi: reconstruction

Many owners, one palace

A majestic and luminous church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The disastrous earthquake

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The role of the religious orders in rebuilding the Val di Noto

Prominent façade

From International Gothic to present day

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A city in colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A half-Baroque church

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The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Maiolica of the staircase

A small room with a golden entrance

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A talking palace

Two illustrious patron saints

One city, two sites

New roads for Catania

Some prestigious works