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 senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The city of museums

Prominent façade

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

The disastrous earthquake

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Baroque town by the sea

The wall comes to life

The colours of the cathedral

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The two churches

The theatre of taste

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A long reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

Some masterpieces

A Nobel Prize in Modica

One city, two sites

A prominent church

A small room with a golden entrance

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

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

New roads for Catania

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Many owners, one palace

A city in colour

A triumph of colour

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A hall for the feasts

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The church of Carmine

A colourful floor

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

From International Gothic to present day

A symbol for the town

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

A talking palace

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

An eagle-shaped city

The internal colours

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Two illustrious patron saints

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Staircase of Angels

A majestic and luminous church

A feast only for Scicli

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A half-Baroque church

Searching for colour

Limestone, the colour of harmony

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Burgos crucifix

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A miniature city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A new site for a new city

One city, three sites

A museum to save a tradition

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Norman apses

A square as the heart of the city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

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

Wonderful quick decorations

A new site for a new church

Some prestigious works

The chocolate of Modica

Between white and black