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.

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some masterpieces

The church of Carmine

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, two sites

The Burgos crucifix

One city, three sites

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The chocolate of Modica

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

A city in colour

Many owners, one palace

A half-Baroque church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

An eagle-shaped city

New roads for Catania

The city of museums

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Norman apses

A museum to save a tradition

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The two churches

The internal colours

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Feast days

A miniature city

Some prestigious works

Feasting in Palazzolo

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The theatre of taste

A square as the heart of the city

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The wall comes to life

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Prominent façade

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A majestic and luminous church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Wonderful quick decorations

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The disastrous earthquake

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A small room with a golden entrance

The colours of the cathedral

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new church

A colourful floor

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

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

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

A talking palace

The interior and its masterpieces

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From International Gothic to present day

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

A prominent church

A long reconstruction

The Baroque town by the sea

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A hall for the feasts

A feast only for Scicli

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

Discovering the mother church

A symbol for the town

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Between white and black

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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