Catania

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

sight
The façade with a play on colour

foto bicromiaOf all the wonders of Piazza Duomo, the cathedral certainly does not go unnoticed.
Thanks to a play on colour between the white limestone and grey lava stone, the façade figures prominently in the square.
The two colours alternate with one another to create a perfect harmony that adds liveliness to the façade.
The colours are not always the same; at different times of the day they shine differently depending on the light.

touch
Coarse to smooth, hot to cold

Look but don’t touch! How many times have you heard this said in museums or churches?
But if you could touch each material that made up the church you would notice how different they are; starting with the pillars that separate the central nave from the lateral naves, the former in lava stone and the latter in white limestone.
On a hot summer day, the outside walls will be much warmer than those inside, which will be undoubtedly cold.

hearing
Music in the Cathedral

foto dell'organo l'interno della cattedraleThe church has an unbreakable bond with music.
The cathedral of St. Agatha is not only home to a magnificent organ, now located above the entrance, but the tomb of the musician Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835).
Though he died very young, he was recognised as one of the greatest composers of his time.
The artist’s tomb was created in 1876 by Giovanni Battista Tassara and is located next to one of the pillars of the right nave.
Bellini was initially buried in Paris at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

taste
A dessert for a saint

During the feast dedicated to St. Agatha, the “Minne di Sant’Agata”, a dessert made in her honour, are another must.
The shape is unambiguously reminiscent of a woman’s breast, in memory of the terrible martyrdom suffered by the saint.
The dessert consists of a shortcrust pastry shell covered with white icing with a candied cherry on top; the filling is made with sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta, candied fruit and dark chocolate. Yum! Not to be missed if you happen to be in Catania during the feast. foto dei dolci delle minne di Sant'Agata

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The colours of the cathedral

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Prominent façade

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Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The theatre of taste

The internal colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Baroque town by the sea

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The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A triumph of colour

The two churches

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A prominent church

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One city, two sites

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

A talking palace

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A small room with a golden entrance

The wall comes to life

A city in colour

Some masterpieces

Some prestigious works

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A long reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Wonderful quick decorations

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

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Searching for colour

Feast days

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A museum to save a tradition

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A miniature city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Discovering the mother church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A hall for the feasts

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Between white and black

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Norman apses

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A colourful floor

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The interior and its masterpieces

A new site for a new church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

The Maiolica of the staircase