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.

An eagle-shaped city

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

Some masterpieces

The Staircase of Angels

A hall for the feasts

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A feast only for Scicli

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A miniature city

New roads for Catania

A city in colour

Between white and black

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A small room with a golden entrance

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A museum to save a tradition

A colourful floor

The two churches

A square as the heart of the city

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

From International Gothic to present day

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The Burgos crucifix

The chocolate of Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The church of Carmine

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A new site for a new city

A prominent church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

Wonderful quick decorations

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, three sites

Discovering the mother church

The theatre of taste

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A triumph of colour

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Norman apses

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Searching for colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Baroque town by the sea

The interior and its masterpieces

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

The Maiolica of the staircase

A talking palace

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The internal colours

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One city, two sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Some prestigious works

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A half-Baroque church

A new site for a new church

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Many owners, one palace

A long reconstruction

The colours of the cathedral

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Prominent façade

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

The city of museums

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso