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.

Searching for colour

A long reconstruction

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The chocolate of Modica

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Discovering the mother church

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The two churches

One city, three sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A colourful floor

A new site for a new city

The Burgos crucifix

Prominent façade

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Feast days

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A half-Baroque church

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

A triumph of colour

A talking palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The colours of the cathedral

The city of museums

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A museum to save a tradition

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

One city, two sites

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

Between white and black

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A prominent church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new church

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A small room with a golden entrance

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

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Many owners, one palace

The church of Carmine

A hall for the feasts

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Staircase of Angels

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A majestic and luminous church

New roads for Catania

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The internal colours

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The theatre of taste

Norman apses

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A symbol for the town

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Wonderful quick decorations

A square as the heart of the city

The Baroque town by the sea

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A feast only for Scicli

The disastrous earthquake

Some prestigious works