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.

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A heritage of votive works

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City and nature

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St. Agatha and the candelore

Scicli, the city of Baroque scenery

Unusual iconographies: the Burgos crucifix

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

From the end of the world to rebirth from the rubble

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

The dynamics of the Church of San Michele

The senses tell about Palazzo Zacco

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Palazzo Zacco, a balance between sobriety and decoration

The palace, the town, the church

The interior of the church: space and colour

Altars, saints and sculptural works

A story of rebirth

A new site for the church of San Giorgio

Madonna of the Militia: a singular warrior virgin

The city palace

Palazzo della Cancelleria: from former stable to the Nicastro family

The Antonino Uccello Birthplace Museum

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The city within the city

The city of Modica, a balance between nature and urbanism

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

The Franciscan convent

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Reconstruction after the earthquake

The Church of St. Francis

The Madonna dei Conadomini and the art of devotion

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Scenography, lights and colours of the cathedral

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The expansion of space and changing reality

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The church and the college

Akrai and Syracuse: an unbreakable bond

The eagle-shaped city

The works in the church

The Palazzo dei due mori

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The senses tell the story of the Church of San Carlo and the former Jesuit college

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The interiors: diffused light and Byzantine relics

A casket of precious works

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Baroque and the loss of balance in the 16th century

The casket of austerity under the great dome

The Staircase of Angels

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The interior and works of art

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the Church of San Michele

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

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

Expansion, spatiality and light in the church of San Domenico

The Church of St. Julian on Via dei Crociferi

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

The articulated interior spaces

The Benedictines’ library

One city, three sites

The Monastery of the Benedictine nuns

A unifying project for the city of Catania

The Church of St. Paul

Palazzo Trigona di Canicarao

Baroque creativity: recurring themes

Scenography and devotion for St. Agatha

The Church of St. Benedict

Majestic exteriors, grandiose interiors

The beginning of an authentic Baroque conception

Fountain of the Nymph Zizza: public water in the town

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

The Monte delle Prestanze in the new city layout

The Church of St. Mary of the Mountain

The smallest Greek theatre in the world

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The art of maiolica

The senses tell about Palazzo Trigona

The senses tell about Palazzo Beneventano

The senses tell about Palazzo Ducezio

San Domenico and Gagliardi’s work

The two churches

The new roads of the city

Palazzo Trigona: a building with a complex shape

Art in the cathedral

Religious architecture

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

The triumph of Baroque: expansion of spaces

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

The church and the monastery

The illusion of light and the decorative splendour

The Infiorata of Noto, a modern tradition

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