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 Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The interior and its masterpieces

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

The Staircase of Angels

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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 Giuseppe

New roads for Catania

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A city in colour

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Prominent façade

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The church of Carmine

A new site for a new church

A small room with a golden entrance

A hall for the feasts

A majestic and luminous church

Feasting in Palazzolo

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

One city, two sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A museum to save a tradition

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

A colourful floor

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A talking palace

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The colours of the cathedral

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The theatre of taste

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A feast only for Scicli

A miniature city

The chocolate of Modica

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

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

The Baroque town by the sea

A symbol for the town

Searching for colour

The city of museums

A triumph of colour

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Between white and black

One city, three sites

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A long reconstruction

The two churches

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Maiolica of the staircase

Some prestigious works

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A half-Baroque church

Norman apses

From International Gothic to present day

The wall comes to life

Some masterpieces

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The Burgos crucifix

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

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Many owners, one palace

The internal colours

A prominent church

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

Feast days

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Wonderful quick decorations

Discovering the mother church