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.

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Discovering the mother church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Between white and black

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, two sites

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, three sites

A colourful floor

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

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

New roads for Catania

The façade used as a puppet theatre

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A feast only for Scicli

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Prominent façade

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The city of museums

A hall for the feasts

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Norman apses

Some prestigious works

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

A symbol for the town

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A triumph of colour

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The church of Carmine

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The chocolate of Modica

A prominent church

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The internal colours

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A city in colour

A half-Baroque church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A miniature city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A talking palace

The Baroque town by the sea

An eagle-shaped city

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A majestic and luminous church

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Burgos crucifix

Wonderful quick decorations

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Many owners, one palace

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The two churches

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The Staircase of Angels

A long reconstruction

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new site for a new city

A museum to save a tradition

A square as the heart of the city

The wall comes to life

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Feasting in Palazzolo

The disastrous earthquake

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

Some masterpieces

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

Searching for colour

The theatre of taste