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 wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Wonderful quick decorations

A city in colour

A new site for a new church

The city of museums

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The theatre of taste

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A square as the heart of the city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Staircase of Angels

The interior and its masterpieces

Many owners, one palace

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Burgos crucifix

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

A triumph of colour

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

A miniature city

The internal colours

Some prestigious works

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A long reconstruction

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The church of Carmine

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Discovering the mother church

A feast only for Scicli

A symbol for the town

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some masterpieces

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Maiolica of the staircase

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A talking palace

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

Searching for colour

A hall for the feasts

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The chocolate of Modica

Norman apses

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A museum to save a tradition

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Prominent façade

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

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

One city, three sites

The colours of the cathedral

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A colourful floor

A small room with a golden entrance

Between white and black

From International Gothic to present day

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Feast days

A majestic and luminous church

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The disastrous earthquake

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

New roads for Catania

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Baroque town by the sea

The two churches

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A prominent church

Connections with other UNESCO sites