Palazzolo Acreide

A half-Baroque church

The church of the Annunziata is located on Via dell’Annunziata, not far from Via Roma.foto della chiesa dalla strada
It is one of the oldest churches in Palazzolo, probably built between the 12th and 14th centuries.
It was not spared by the tragic earthquake of 1693 and was partially destroyed.
The confraternity of the Annunziata wasted no time in overseeing the reconstruction. The Baroque façade was redesigned according to a design by Giuseppe Ferrara.
The entrance is preceded by a particular triangular-shaped parvis enclosed by a small wall and surmounted by small pillars. Unfortunately the façade remained unfinished. Only the main portal and the decorations around it were completed; four Solomonic columns ,two on each side, and the trabeation stand out.

zoom chiesa dell'Annunziata
chiesa dell'Annunziata

Le colonne tortili foto del portale
The richness and attention paid to the masterful decorations is striking. Quince, grapes, figs, pomegranates, cherub , faces, festoons, abstract elements and plant elements were all carved with extreme precision.

Zoom le decorazioni delle colonne
le decorazioni delle colonne

The church was redesigned with three naves with large arches to divide the main nave from the smaller one; the white walls were elevated with gilded stucco decoration; the white and dark grey floor, which reproduces an abstract design on the ground characterised by the strong contrast of the two stones, adds personality.

particolari delle Colonne tortili  particolari delle colonne tortili

interno dall’ingresso all’altare il pavimento bianco e grigio scuro Dettaglio pavimentazione

The internal colours

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Burgos crucifix

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

The theatre of taste

The disastrous earthquake

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The wall comes to life

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Baroque town by the sea

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

From International Gothic to present day

A museum to save a tradition

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Prominent façade

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A colourful floor

Searching for colour

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

Discovering the mother church

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, three sites

A small room with a golden entrance

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Many owners, one palace

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The two churches

A new site for a new city

A hall for the feasts

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The Staircase of Angels

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A square as the heart of the city

The colours of the cathedral

Feast days

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A symbol for the town

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

Some masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

New roads for Catania

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

A majestic and luminous church

Between white and black

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A city in colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A prominent church

The church of Carmine

One city, two sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

An eagle-shaped city

A feast only for Scicli

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The city of museums

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Some prestigious works

A long reconstruction

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A talking palace

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A triumph of colour

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

Norman apses

Feasting in Palazzolo