Catania

A square as the heart of the city

The project for the new roads of Catania was designed by the master engineer Giuseppe Vespa, likely under the supervision of the famous engineer Carlos de Grunenbergh and, in collaboration with the Duke of Camastra , the decision was made to reorganise the city and adopt Piazza Duomo as the focal point.
Piazza inquadrando l'elefante punto centraleIt was then that Catania was reborn. The new square was larger and wider than the former Platea Magna .
Both religious and secular powers were represented in this building; the cathedral was rebuilt on the site of the old church, whose apses had remained standing. The Archbishop’s Palace, the Seminary Palace of the Clerics and the Senatorial Palace were then built.
In the centre is the Fontana dell'Elefante (Fountain of the Elephant), now a symbol of the city, which was designed by architect Giovanni Battista Vaccarini and unveiled in 1737. The obelisk, brought from Egypt and placed on top of the elephant, is 3.61 metres tall.
On the top was placed a globe featuring a cross and the initials of St. Agatha, the city’s patron saint .
Palazzo Senatorio Fontana dell'Elefante Obelisco
Beneath the elephant, finally, is a pedestal with statues of the two rivers of Catania, the Amenano and the Simeto.
dettaglio fiume Amenano elefante obelisco fiume Simeto elefante obelisco
The end result is a breathtaking square.
The alternating use of dark grey lava stone with white limestone creates surprising contrast. A perfect example of this can be found in the cathedral or senatorial palace.
Effects of light and shadow complete and accentuate the contrasts of the square, reminiscent of a theatre stage.

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Searching for colour

Prominent façade

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

Norman apses

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A long reconstruction

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feast days

The interior and its masterpieces

A square as the heart of the city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

New roads for Catania

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

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A majestic and luminous church

The wall comes to life

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The theatre of taste

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A city in colour

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Burgos crucifix

An eagle-shaped city

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

Many owners, one palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The internal colours

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The city of museums

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A colourful floor

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

A museum to save a tradition

A symbol for the town

One city, two sites

A prominent church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A hall for the feasts

The colours of the cathedral

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Some prestigious works

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A feast only for Scicli

The disastrous earthquake

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The two churches

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A miniature city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

A small room with a golden entrance

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Wonderful quick decorations

A talking palace

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Baroque town by the sea

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Discovering the mother church

The chocolate of Modica

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A half-Baroque church

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Between white and black

The Staircase of Angels

A new site for a new church

A triumph of colour

One city, three sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Maiolica of the staircase

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras