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.

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The theatre of taste

The city of museums

A feast only for Scicli

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The Baroque town by the sea

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The wall comes to life

One city, two sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

The two churches

An eagle-shaped city

Searching for colour

Many owners, one palace

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A majestic and luminous church

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The interior and its masterpieces

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The Staircase of Angels

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A prominent church

A miniature city

A colourful floor

A city in colour

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The colours of the cathedral

A triumph of colour

Prominent façade

New roads for Catania

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The disastrous earthquake

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The internal colours

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Feast days

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new site for a new city

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

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 Giuseppe

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A square as the heart of the city

The church of Carmine

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Wonderful quick decorations

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Between white and black

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A hall for the feasts

A small room with a golden entrance

Some masterpieces

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

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

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

Some prestigious works

A talking palace

Discovering the mother church

A symbol for the town

A half-Baroque church

The Burgos crucifix

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

One city, three sites

From International Gothic to present day

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A long reconstruction