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 Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

One city, three sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A square as the heart of the city

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, two sites

The church of Carmine

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some prestigious works

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A city in colour

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A hall for the feasts

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A majestic and luminous church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A long reconstruction

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Discovering the mother church

A symbol for the town

The Burgos crucifix

The two churches

An eagle-shaped city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The city of museums

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new site for a new city

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

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

The theatre of taste

Feast days

A triumph of colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

Wonderful quick decorations

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A half-Baroque church

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

The disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The interior and its masterpieces

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A colourful floor

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Prominent façade

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

A miniature city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The internal colours

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The chocolate of Modica

Some masterpieces

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Two illustrious patron saints

Many owners, one palace

The Staircase of Angels

Norman apses

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The colours of the cathedral

The wall comes to life

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A talking palace

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Between white and black

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

From International Gothic to present day

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto