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 city of museums

A symbol for the town

A square as the heart of the city

From International Gothic to present day

A prominent church

Prominent façade

The Burgos crucifix

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

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A miniature city

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The theatre of taste

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The wall comes to life

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

The two churches

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The chocolate of Modica

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The church of Carmine

Many owners, one palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new site for a new church

Some masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

The internal colours

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

A small room with a golden entrance

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Staircase of Angels

The Baroque town by the sea

A half-Baroque church

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

A hall for the feasts

Wonderful quick decorations

A majestic and luminous church

A triumph of colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

An eagle-shaped city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, two sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A new site for a new city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A museum to save a tradition

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A city in colour

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The colours of the cathedral

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Two illustrious patron saints

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A feast only for Scicli

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A long reconstruction

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Discovering the mother church

Some prestigious works

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Modica, a city with ancient origins

One city, three sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A colourful floor

Between white and black

The disastrous earthquake

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feast days

A talking palace

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library