Scicli

A feast only for Scicli

Madonna a Cavallo, Chiesa MadreOn the last Saturday of May the Madonna a Cavallo (Madonna on Horseback) is celebrated in Scicli. This very important feast celebrates the liberation of Christians from Arab rule.
In 1091 Roger I of Sicily and his army freed Scicli from the Saracens, but they didn’t do it all by themselves… The Madonna on horseback came to their aid. Also known as the Madonna delle Milizie (Madonna of the Militia), she miraculously appeared and took part in the final battle. This incredible event could not be forgotten, so it is still celebrated every year.
In her honour, the town is decorated with lights and all the citizens participate in long processions; it is the only feast in the world where a warrior virgin is celebrated.
A play is also put on that tells the story of the battle and the miraculous appearance. To mark this day for remembering the Virgin’s miraculous intervention, typical desserts are prepared called Teste di Turco (“Testi Turcu” in dialect), meaning Turkish Heads. These desserts are an ideological trophy. In fact, their shape is reminiscent of the turbans that covered the heads of the defeated invaders. Despite their inspiration, they are delicious pastry puffs filled with ricotta cheese or custard.

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Norman apses

Between white and black

A talking palace

Many owners, one palace

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A long reconstruction

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Discovering the mother church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A hall for the feasts

A museum to save a tradition

The disastrous earthquake

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The church of Carmine

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A half-Baroque church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

One city, three sites

A symbol for the town

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A prominent church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Searching for colour

One city, two sites

A city in colour

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

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

The two churches

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new site for a new city

A new site for a new church

A miniature city

The Baroque town by the sea

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

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

The Burgos crucifix

The wall comes to life

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The city of museums

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A feast only for Scicli

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Prominent façade

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

The colours of the cathedral

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

From International Gothic to present day

The theatre of taste

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feast days

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some prestigious works

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Staircase of Angels

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A colourful floor

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

An eagle-shaped city