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.

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

The Burgos crucifix

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Maiolica of the staircase

The colours of the cathedral

One city, two sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feasting in Palazzolo

Wonderful quick decorations

The wall comes to life

From International Gothic to present day

A talking palace

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Norman apses

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A miniature city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Some prestigious works

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The theatre of taste

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

A new site for a new city

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A triumph of colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A half-Baroque church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

An eagle-shaped city

A small room with a golden entrance

The church of Carmine

The internal colours

Discovering the mother church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, three sites

A symbol for the town

A majestic and luminous church

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The disastrous earthquake

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Searching for colour

The chocolate of Modica

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

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

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

A long reconstruction

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A prominent church

Prominent façade

The interior and its masterpieces

A city in colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Baroque town by the sea

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

New roads for Catania

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A square as the heart of the city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The city of museums

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A colourful floor

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Between white and black

Many owners, one palace

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