Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

sight
Brightness and light

Colour, light and more colour!
The vault is a riot of colour, capable of making the figures and shapes stand out, and leaving visitors gazing upwards.
As for the altar, it attracts attention thanks to the brilliance and shine of gold, silver and the precious sparkling stones used to decorate it.
The church is a treasure trove of precious jewels.

hearing
A sound to accompany prayer

It’s 1790 and you’re inside the church of St. Benedict, attending one of the services… You can hear something… what is it?
The organ!
With a sound alternating between gentle and low, it accompanies prayer as impressed worshippers celebrate Holy Mass.
Then the bells announce the end of the service.
Their chimes vibrate in the atmosphere and resonate along Via dei Crociferi.

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

One city, three sites

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The church of Carmine

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A long reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The colours of the cathedral

A miniature city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A square as the heart of the city

Between white and black

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The Burgos crucifix

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A museum to save a tradition

New roads for Catania

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A small room with a golden entrance

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A half-Baroque church

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

The two churches

A symbol for the town

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A majestic and luminous church

One city, two sites

The chocolate of Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

From International Gothic to present day

Discovering the mother church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A talking palace

The disastrous earthquake

An eagle-shaped city

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new church

Feast days

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Prominent façade

Some masterpieces

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A feast only for Scicli

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

The wall comes to life

Feasting in Palazzolo

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Wonderful quick decorations

The theatre of taste

Two illustrious patron saints

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A triumph of colour

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Norman apses

A city in colour

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The city of museums

Many owners, one palace

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some prestigious works

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Maiolica of the staircase

A colourful floor

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Staircase of Angels

Searching for colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new site for a new city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction