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 Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

One city, three sites

The city of museums

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A half-Baroque church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The interior and its masterpieces

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The chocolate of Modica

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Burgos crucifix

New roads for Catania

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

A long reconstruction

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

A triumph of colour

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

A city in colour

A museum to save a tradition

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Norman apses

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A talking palace

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A square as the heart of the city

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Prominent façade

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A new site for a new church

A majestic and luminous church

A symbol for the town

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Between white and black

Many owners, one palace

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Feast days

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Discovering the mother church

The two churches

The Staircase of Angels

Some prestigious works

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Searching for colour

Wonderful quick decorations

One city, two sites

A colourful floor

A hall for the feasts

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

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

A new site for a new city

The internal colours

The colours of the cathedral

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A prominent church

The Maiolica of the staircase

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

Two illustrious patron saints

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A miniature city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The disastrous earthquake

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

A feast only for Scicli

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The theatre of taste

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra