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 Burgos crucifix

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A long reconstruction

Some prestigious works

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A talking palace

A prominent church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Baroque town by the sea

A city in colour

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

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A colourful floor

The wall comes to life

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A miniature city

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

Feast days

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Two illustrious patron saints

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Prominent façade

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

Many owners, one palace

The chocolate of Modica

New roads for Catania

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A symbol for the town

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A feast only for Scicli

A half-Baroque church

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

Between white and black

A small room with a golden entrance

A new site for a new city

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

From International Gothic to present day

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new church

Discovering the mother church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

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

The internal colours

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

One city, three sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A hall for the feasts

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Norman apses

The church of Carmine

Searching for colour

The disastrous earthquake

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The colours of the cathedral

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The two churches

A majestic and luminous church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A square as the heart of the city

Wonderful quick decorations

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The city of museums

A museum to save a tradition

Some masterpieces

One city, two sites