Palazzolo Acreide

The two churches

The two main churches of Palazzolo Acreide, the Church of San Paolo (St. Paul) and the Church of San Sebastiano (St. Sebastian), are excellent examples of the particular late Baroque style.
  
They stand out from the other buildings in the town and hold particular significance.
Each with their own style, they form a theatrical setting that characterises the town space, so much so that their surrounding districts are named after them.
The great value of the two religious buildings is given by the interesting architectural features and the rich, elaborate decorations preserved inside. Both were rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake to demonstrate the wealth possessed by the local confraternities.
Religious feasts are very popular in Palazzolo Acreide! They take place from June to October and are dedicated to the town’s patron saints.
The feast of St. Paul the Apostle (29th June) ) has very ancient origins, is internationally celebrated and attracts thousands of worshippers and tourists every year. The same can be said of the feast in honour of St. Sebastian to whom almost the entire month of August is dedicated.

The Maiolica of the staircase

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Some masterpieces

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

The theatre of taste

The chocolate of Modica

A prominent church

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The disastrous earthquake

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Wonderful quick decorations

A feast only for Scicli

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A colourful floor

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

A new site for a new church

Norman apses

Many owners, one palace

The city of museums

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Limestone, the colour of harmony

From International Gothic to present day

Prominent façade

A symbol for the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Baroque town by the sea

The Staircase of Angels

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

An eagle-shaped city

Between white and black

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

New roads for Catania

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Burgos crucifix

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Two illustrious patron saints

The two churches

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

A talking palace

Some prestigious works

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A city in colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One city, three sites

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Discovering the mother church

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A long reconstruction

A half-Baroque church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The wall comes to life

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

One city, two sites

The internal colours

A miniature city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Feast days