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.

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

A feast only for Scicli

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

The city of museums

A prominent church

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Searching for colour

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A talking palace

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

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

Prominent façade

The disastrous earthquake

The wall comes to life

A majestic and luminous church

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A small room with a golden entrance

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

An eagle-shaped city

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Between white and black

A museum to save a tradition

A long reconstruction

New roads for Catania

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A city in colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

The two churches

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

The internal colours

A symbol for the town

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A square as the heart of the city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

One city, two sites

Norman apses

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

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

Feast days

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new church

The church of Carmine

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A half-Baroque church

From International Gothic to present day

Wonderful quick decorations

A hall for the feasts

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, three sites

Some masterpieces

Many owners, one palace

Some prestigious works

A miniature city

A colourful floor

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Burgos crucifix

A triumph of colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins