Catania

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

sight
A hypnotic floor

With a splendid geometric design of curved and broken lines pointing towards the centre, the floor of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) mesmerises all who look upon it.
The effect is amplified by the contrast between the colours of the floor.
The red stone alternating with white marble with light grey veins is enough to make your head spin.

hearing
The singing of the Benedictines

On the Feast of St. Agatha, the saint’s statue is carried around the city streets in procession.
The long route takes us in front of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian), where the devout Benedictine nuns, hidden behind the grilles, hear prayers, honour the Saint and take part in one of the most important celebrations.

From International Gothic to present day

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A city in colour

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A talking palace

The Maiolica of the staircase

Two illustrious patron saints

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Burgos crucifix

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A small room with a golden entrance

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Between white and black

A colourful floor

The church of Carmine

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, three sites

Norman apses

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

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

The Baroque town by the sea

A prominent church

Discovering the mother church

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A hall for the feasts

Feast days

The colours of the cathedral

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A triumph of colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A symbol for the town

New roads for Catania

The chocolate of Modica

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A majestic and luminous church

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Prominent façade

A square as the heart of the city

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A miniature city

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

One city, two sites

The interior and its masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

The city of museums

Some masterpieces

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A long reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

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

Some prestigious works

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

The two churches

The wall comes to life

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Modica, a city with ancient origins

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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