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.

One city, two sites

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A talking palace

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Norman apses

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Baroque town by the sea

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

Wonderful quick decorations

A museum to save a tradition

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The colours of the cathedral

Between white and black

The internal colours

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Prominent façade

A miniature city

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The Burgos crucifix

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A city in colour

The church of Carmine

The theatre of taste

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

Feast days

A colourful floor

Many owners, one palace

A triumph of colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Maiolica of the staircase

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, three sites

From International Gothic to present day

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

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

The disastrous earthquake

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

A prominent church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Some prestigious works

New roads for Catania

A small room with a golden entrance

The Staircase of Angels

The interior and its masterpieces

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The two churches

Searching for colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

A feast only for Scicli

A long reconstruction

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The chocolate of Modica

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A symbol for the town

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A hall for the feasts

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new city

A majestic and luminous church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some masterpieces