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 senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A city in colour

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A majestic and luminous church

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

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

A colourful floor

Feast days

The Staircase of Angels

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

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

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

The internal colours

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A miniature city

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A triumph of colour

A symbol for the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

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

The chocolate of Modica

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The two churches

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Two illustrious patron saints

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Searching for colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Wonderful quick decorations

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Maiolica of the staircase

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A half-Baroque church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A hall for the feasts

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The disastrous earthquake

One city, two sites

From International Gothic to present day

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The colours of the cathedral

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

Connections with other UNESCO sites

New roads for Catania

A new site for a new city

A feast only for Scicli

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A long reconstruction

The wall comes to life

The city of museums

Norman apses

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

One city, three sites

Some prestigious works

Some masterpieces

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A small room with a golden entrance

A talking palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A new site for a new church

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The theatre of taste

Feasting in Palazzolo

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black

The church of Carmine