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 triumph of colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some prestigious works

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The church of Carmine

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new city

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

From International Gothic to present day

The colours of the cathedral

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

New roads for Catania

A city in colour

An eagle-shaped city

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Staircase of Angels

One city, two sites

Prominent façade

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A prominent church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A square as the heart of the city

Discovering the mother church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A colourful floor

Between white and black

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A museum to save a tradition

Norman apses

Searching for colour

A new site for a new church

Some masterpieces

A symbol for the town

A half-Baroque church

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The two churches

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

The Burgos crucifix

The internal colours

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

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

A miniature city

A long reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

Feast days

A majestic and luminous church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A talking palace

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

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The wall comes to life

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The disastrous earthquake

The chocolate of Modica

The theatre of taste

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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