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

A miniature city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A colourful floor

Searching for colour

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new city

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A feast only for Scicli

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Staircase of Angels

The theatre of taste

A talking palace

A half-Baroque church

The church of Carmine

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

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

Feast days

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

Some masterpieces

The Baroque town by the sea

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A triumph of colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The internal colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Norman apses

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The colours of the cathedral

An eagle-shaped city

Two illustrious patron saints

A city in colour

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The city of museums

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The disastrous earthquake

The Burgos crucifix

Some prestigious works

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Discovering the mother church

A prominent church

A majestic and luminous church

Prominent façade

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

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

One city, three sites

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

A symbol for the town

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, two sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A small room with a golden entrance

Many owners, one palace

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Wonderful quick decorations

St. Sebastian, so much work!

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

New roads for Catania

A square as the heart of the city

The two churches

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Between white and black

A new site for a new church