Catania

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

sight
What a view!

If we climbed the steps leading to the terrace above the abbey of St. Agatha, perhaps we would be a little tired or out of breath, but there would be a splendid landscape before us.
The entire city can be seen from here: the Bellini Theatre, the Cathedral, the Ursino Castle, the churches on Via Crociferi and the great Benedictine monastery.
The cloistered nuns (who never left the monastery) used this terrace to participate in city life and attend processions without being seen.

smell
The scent of church candles

The smell of wax is one of the most characteristic scents inside a church and in the streets of Catania during the patron saint’s celebrations.
Votive candles are still produced today in Catania’s artisanal workshops using techniques and raw materials steeped in ancient knowledge.
There were originally two types of candles: those made with beeswax, which were more refined and expensive, and those made with animal fat, which were far cheaper but gave off an unpleasant smell and smoke.

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

An eagle-shaped city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A miniature city

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Some prestigious works

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

A square as the heart of the city

The disastrous earthquake

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

A colourful floor

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

A long reconstruction

The Burgos crucifix

A majestic and luminous church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The wall comes to life

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A triumph of colour

One city, three sites

A new site for a new church

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A feast only for Scicli

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A small room with a golden entrance

A hall for the feasts

Many owners, one palace

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A prominent church

Between white and black

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

New roads for Catania

Feasting in Palazzolo

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Staircase of Angels

A new site for a new city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Two illustrious patron saints

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

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

The two churches

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, two sites

The church of Carmine

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

From International Gothic to present day

Discovering the mother church

Prominent façade

The chocolate of Modica

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Feast days

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giuliano ai Crociferi

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A half-Baroque church

Wonderful quick decorations

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The theatre of taste

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A museum to save a tradition

The internal colours

A talking palace

The colours of the cathedral

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giovanni Battista

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)