Caltagirone

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

sight
Infinite colours for a single staircase

scala-infisorata-caltagironeWow!
The Staircase of St. Mary of the Mountain during the town’s most important feasts is an exciting sight.
In May the taircase becomes a colourful carpet of plants and flowers that perfume the air and together create a spectacular design dedicated to the Madonna dei Conadomini.
But it doesn’t stop here! To celebrate St. James and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, 4000 tea lights are lit, one by one, to form a unique design on the staircase!
All the inhabitants take part and thousands of people meet at the foot of the staircase, all looking for the best viewpoint.

smell
The scent of the feasts

In addition to its colours and lights during the two most important feasts, the Staircase of St. Mary of the Mountain is also filled with various scents.
The smell of flowers accompanies the feast dedicated to the Madonna Conadomini, while burning wax is the typical aroma for the celebrations of St. James and the Assumption of the Virgin.
The flames of 140 tea lights illuminate the staircase until they go out, giving way to a slight burning smell.

The church of Carmine

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

The Baroque town by the sea

A Nobel Prize in Modica

An eagle-shaped city

A new site for a new city

A colourful floor

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Searching for colour

Wonderful quick decorations

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The disastrous earthquake

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The colours of the cathedral

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Discovering the mother church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The wall comes to life

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The two churches

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

A miniature city

One city, three sites

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A city in colour

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The chocolate of Modica

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A talking palace

The Staircase of Angels

A prominent church

Norman apses

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

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

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

Between white and black

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

From International Gothic to present day

A triumph of colour

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A long reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The city of museums

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A feast only for Scicli

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

One city, two sites

A new site for a new church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

New roads for Catania

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Burgos crucifix

The theatre of taste

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The internal colours

A symbol for the town

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

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A half-Baroque church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A hall for the feasts

Feast days

Feasting in Palazzolo

A majestic and luminous church

Some prestigious works

The Maiolica of the staircase