Catania

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

sight
A hypnotic floor

With a splendid geometric design of curved and broken lines pointing towards the centre, the floor of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) mesmerises all who look upon it.
The effect is amplified by the contrast between the colours of the floor.
The red stone alternating with white marble with light grey veins is enough to make your head spin.

hearing
The singing of the Benedictines

On the Feast of St. Agatha, the saint’s statue is carried around the city streets in procession.
The long route takes us in front of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian), where the devout Benedictine nuns, hidden behind the grilles, hear prayers, honour the Saint and take part in one of the most important celebrations.

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A colourful floor

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The theatre of taste

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The interior and its masterpieces

A miniature city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, three sites

Feast days

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The two churches

A hall for the feasts

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Two illustrious patron saints

The Staircase of Angels

Prominent façade

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

The chocolate of Modica

Discovering the mother church

A symbol for the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A majestic and luminous church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A long reconstruction

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Maiolica of the staircase

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Some prestigious works

New roads for Catania

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The internal colours

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new site for a new church

A triumph of colour

Between white and black

A feast only for Scicli

The Baroque town by the sea

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Burgos crucifix

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The wall comes to life

Norman apses

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

One city, two sites

The city of museums

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

A talking palace

From International Gothic to present day

A city in colour

The colours of the cathedral

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Feasting in Palazzolo

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Searching for colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A small room with a golden entrance

An eagle-shaped city

A half-Baroque church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Wonderful quick decorations

The disastrous earthquake

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some masterpieces

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

Many owners, one palace

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