Catania

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

sight
Panoramic views to contemplate beauty

The Badia di Sant’Agata (St. Agatha’s Abbey) offers many panoramic viewpoints for contemplating the beauty of the entire historic centre. It’s certainly worth taking the long staircase that leads to the upper terraces and the walkway that surrounds the dome.
From here you can admire the entire city: the Bellini Theatre, the Cathedral, the Ursino Castle, the churches of Via Crociferi and all the artistic marvels that the city of Catania has to offer.
zoom cupola panoramica dalla cupola

smell
The scent of wax

The smell of wax is one of the most characteristic scents within the church and in the streets of Catania during the celebrations of the patron saint.
Votive candles are still produced today in Catania’s artisanal workshops using techniques and raw materials steeped in ancient knowledge.
There were originally two types of candles: those made with beeswax, which were more refined and expensive, and those made with animal fat, which were far cheaper but gave off an unpleasant smell and smoke.

Unusual iconographies: the Burgos crucifix

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The palace, the town, the church

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The Church of St. Francis

Geometry and wonder in civic architecture in the Baroque of the Val di Noto

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The triumph of Baroque: expansion of spaces

The eagle-shaped city

Expansion, spatiality and light in the church of San Domenico

The senses tell about Palazzo Trigona

The senses tell the Cathedral of San Giorgio

The church and the college

The Franciscan convent

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The Benedictines’ library

San Domenico and Gagliardi’s work

Baroque creativity: recurring themes

Altars, saints and sculptural works

The Staircase of Angels

Palazzo Trigona: a building with a complex shape

The articulated interior spaces

The two churches

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Palazzo Zacco, a balance between sobriety and decoration

The Badia di Sant’Agata (St. Agatha’s Abbey)

A heritage of votive works

The city palace

St. Agatha and the candelore

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City and nature

Virtuosity, decorations and altars

Scicli, the city of Baroque scenery

Expanded spaces, stucco and colourful lights

The Monastery of the Benedictine nuns

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From the end of the world to rebirth from the rubble

One city, three sites

Art in the cathedral

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Paolo

Verticality and dynamism of the façade of the Church of San Carlo

The Duomo di San Giorgio (Cathedral of St. George)

The senses tell the Church of San Domenico

The freedom of worship and the Catholic Church’s role in the diffusion of Baroque

The Monte delle Prestanze in the new city layout

A stone garden

Rebirth and urban planning of the city of Noto

The Palazzo dei due mori

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The art of maiolica

The illusion of light and the decorative splendour

The Church of St. Benedict

The casket of austerity under the great dome

Reconstruction after the earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Sanctuary Church of Santa Maria della Stella

Barresi-Branciforte: the lords of the fiefdom and the modernisation of the town

The Church of Madonna della Stella

The expansion of space and changing reality

The works in the church

The city of Modica, a balance between nature and urbanism

The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and the Church of San Nicolò l’Arena

The senses tell about Palazzo Ducezio

A casket of precious works

The Antonino Uccello Birthplace Museum

Religious architecture

A story of rebirth

The senses tell about Palazzo Zacco

Luminous sacred spaces

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The interior and works of art

Palazzo della Cancelleria: from former stable to the Nicastro family

A compromise between Neoclassicism and Baroque

The interiors: diffused light and Byzantine relics

The senses tell about Palazzo Beneventano

The Church of St. Mary of the Mountain

The senses tell of Palazzo della Cancelleria

The interior of the church: space and colour

The new roads of the city

The Madonna dei Conadomini and the art of devotion

The beginning of an authentic Baroque conception

Scenography, lights and colours of the cathedral

Scenography and devotion for St. Agatha

The city within the city

Fountain of the Nymph Zizza: public water in the town

The dynamics of the Church of San Michele

A unifying project for the city of Catania

Palazzo Trigona di Canicarao

The neo-Gothic seminary chapel: symbols, light and space

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Majestic exteriors, grandiose interiors

The church and the monastery

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Views denied, views conquered: the power of the devout Benedictines

The smallest Greek theatre in the world

Baroque and the loss of balance in the 16th century

Piazza Duomo, the elephant fountain, the heart of the city

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

A new site for the church of San Giorgio