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.

A new site for a new church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new city

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

From International Gothic to present day

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

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

The Burgos crucifix

A half-Baroque church

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The colours of the cathedral

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Baroque town by the sea

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The chocolate of Modica

The Staircase of Angels

A miniature city

The wall comes to life

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Prominent façade

A city in colour

A majestic and luminous church

New roads for Catania

The Maiolica of the staircase

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

Searching for colour

The church of Carmine

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A long reconstruction

The disastrous earthquake

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 role of the religious orders in rebuilding the Val di Noto

A talking palace

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A square as the heart of the city

A hall for the feasts

One city, three sites

A triumph of colour

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

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

The internal colours

One city, two sites

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

The interior and its masterpieces

The city of museums

Discovering the mother church

The theatre of taste

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

An eagle-shaped city

A colourful floor

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A prominent church

Between white and black

A small room with a golden entrance

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours