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.

From International Gothic to present day

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

Many owners, one palace

A new site for a new city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The theatre of taste

The two churches

A museum to save a tradition

A symbol for the town

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A feast only for Scicli

An eagle-shaped city

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Maiolica of the staircase

Prominent façade

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A square as the heart of the city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, two sites

A colourful floor

The internal colours

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A hall for the feasts

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The church of Carmine

The chocolate of Modica

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

Some masterpieces

A miniature city

Some prestigious works

Discovering the mother church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Norman apses

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A triumph of colour

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A majestic and luminous church

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A city in colour

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

A half-Baroque church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, three sites

Two illustrious patron saints

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The interior and its masterpieces

The Staircase of Angels

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

A prominent church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A long reconstruction

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The wall comes to life

The Burgos crucifix

The city of museums

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Wonderful quick decorations

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A talking palace

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Between white and black

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The disastrous earthquake