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.

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

An eagle-shaped city

A long reconstruction

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The wall comes to life

A majestic and luminous church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A miniature city

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

A colourful floor

The Staircase of Angels

A feast only for Scicli

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

The chocolate of Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

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

A half-Baroque church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

New roads for Catania

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

The church of Carmine

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From International Gothic to present day

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The two churches

The interior and its masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Prominent façade

The Baroque town by the sea

A triumph of colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A symbol for the town

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feast days

The disastrous earthquake

A new site for a new church

The theatre of taste

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A hall for the feasts

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

A museum to save a tradition

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Maiolica of the staircase

The colours of the cathedral

Many owners, one palace

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

One city, two sites

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Some prestigious works

Between white and black

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

One city, three sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Norman apses

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A city in colour

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

A square as the heart of the city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The city of museums

Discovering the mother church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Wonderful quick decorations

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A talking palace

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Burgos crucifix

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe