Militello in Val di Catania

The senses tell the Mother Church of San Nicolò and of the Santissimo Salvatore

hearing
Sound on

The feast for the Holy Saviour of Militello involves its citizens and also attracts inhabitants from nearby villages and tourists: everyone is invited!
During the celebrations the most diverse sounds can be heard: cannon shots announcing the approaching feast; bells ringing to alert citizens of the beginning of the festivities; voices of the participants, the local band, and the prayers of the processions.
It’s impossible not to feel involved in the festivities, with each sound reminiscent of a precise moment.

sight
And then comes red…

The church interior looks like a white canvas with strokes of colour from the frescoes and stucco decorations that create plays of light and shadow.
The delicate white walls were combined with a white and grey chequered floor, with a geometric design formed of straight lines in an excellent contrast with the walls.
These delicate tones are enlivened during the feast of the Holy Saviour; long red drapes decorate the nave and the interior is transformed by colour!

smell
The memory of smell

The smell of the candle offered by the mayor and the scent of the flowers that adorn the streets are unmistakable, inevitable parts of the feast of the Holy Saviour.
These smells remain imprinted in the memory of young and old people alike, and whenever you catch a hint of them, they bring to mind moments of celebration and joy.

taste
Quince paste for the Holy Saviour

The feast of the Santissimo Salvatore (Holy Saviour) is also an opportunity to eat some typical sweets such as cognata (quince paste).
The recipe is very simple and requires only three ingredients: quince, sugar and lemon.
The ingredients are cooked using the same process as jam and placed in moulds for the mixture to solidify into a gelatinous consistency.
Special moulds in the shape of a globe with a cross on top are used for the feast of the Holy Saviour. La cotognata

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The senses tell the Mother Church of San Nicolò and of the Santissimo Salvatore

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Norman apses

The internal colours

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The Maiolica of the staircase

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New roads for Catania

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Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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The colours of the cathedral

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The wall comes to life

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Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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A colourful floor

The two churches

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The Burgos crucifix

Many owners, one palace

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The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Some masterpieces

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Prominent façade

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The disastrous earthquake

A hall for the feasts

A long reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

A half-Baroque church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Some prestigious works

A museum to save a tradition

From International Gothic to present day

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A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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St. Sebastian, so much work!

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Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family