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 kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A feast only for Scicli

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Feasting in Palazzolo

The church of Carmine

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

From International Gothic to present day

The Maiolica of the staircase

A talking palace

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Some prestigious works

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The interior and its masterpieces

A majestic and luminous church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A hall for the feasts

A miniature city

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

The internal colours

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Wonderful quick decorations

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

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A symbol for the town

Two illustrious patron saints

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A half-Baroque church

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A Nobel Prize in Modica

One city, two sites

A prominent church

A small room with a golden entrance

The Burgos crucifix

A city in colour

The theatre of taste

A colourful floor

Searching for colour

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Many owners, one palace

A triumph of colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Discovering the mother church

The Staircase of Angels

The wall comes to life

A square as the heart of the city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The disastrous earthquake

The city of museums

Some masterpieces

The colours of the cathedral

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The two churches

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A museum to save a tradition

A long reconstruction

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Feast days

New roads for Catania