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 Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A small room with a golden entrance

A symbol for the town

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The colours of the cathedral

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some masterpieces

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, two sites

A square as the heart of the city

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

The two churches

One city, three sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A prominent church

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

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A hall for the feasts

A talking palace

A city in colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Burgos crucifix

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The city of museums

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

A new site for a new church

A new site for a new city

A triumph of colour

New roads for Catania

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The theatre of taste

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A colourful floor

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

The chocolate of Modica

Between white and black

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

An eagle-shaped city

Some prestigious works

A feast only for Scicli

A museum to save a tradition

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

A majestic and luminous church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The church of Carmine

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Wonderful quick decorations

Many owners, one palace

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

A long reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

From International Gothic to present day

Searching for colour

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feast days

The disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Two illustrious patron saints

The Baroque town by the sea

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Norman apses

A miniature city

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

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

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

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

The internal colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara