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.

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

New roads for Catania

Prominent façade

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A symbol for the town

The wall comes to life

An eagle-shaped city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Many owners, one palace

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A hall for the feasts

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The theatre of taste

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The church of Carmine

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A colourful floor

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The chocolate of Modica

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

From International Gothic to present day

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

A miniature city

The city of museums

A prominent church

Wonderful quick decorations

A long reconstruction

A Nobel Prize in Modica

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some prestigious works

Feast days

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, two sites

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

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

A talking palace

A half-Baroque church

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Norman apses

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Burgos crucifix

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

The Staircase of Angels

A triumph of colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Baroque town by the sea

The disastrous earthquake

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A square as the heart of the city

A majestic and luminous church

Between white and black

Discovering the mother church

The internal colours

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

A city in colour

A feast only for Scicli

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Some masterpieces

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

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

The two churches

Feasting in Palazzolo

St. Sebastian, so much work!