Militello in Val di Catania

Feast days

By a bishop’s decree dated 12 July 1909, the 18th of August was chosen as the date to celebrate the Holy Saviour. The celebrations last for days and days and involve all citizens.
It begins on the 8th of August with the day of the “Cantata” (song), where bells are rung and cannon shots fired, followed in the evening by a procession, reminding the citizens that the feast is near and inviting them to prepare. Nine long days go by until the 17th of August, the Eve of the feast. In the morning the local band marches around the streets of the town. In the evening the committee for the festivities goes to the town hall and invites the mayor and the civic and military authorities to join the procession.
At this point, after the mayor’s offering of the votive candle and floral tribute to the saint, the sacred image of the Holy Saviour is unveiled.
The 18th of August is finally here!
The town is awoken by the ringing of bells and the firing of one hundred and one cannon shots, followed by the Pontifical High Mass. In the afternoon the statue of the saint leaves the church and is carried in procession through the streets of Militello. It is festively decorated with long red and white drapes, flowers and small altars. The celebrations don’t end here… The Veglia di preghiera (Prayer Vigil) takes place on the 24th followed by a short procession on the 25th; all of which is accompanied by various sport, recreational and cultural activities to entertain the participants.

A city in colour

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

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Many owners, one palace

A small room with a golden entrance

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Between white and black

Two illustrious patron saints

The two churches

The church of Carmine

Norman apses

A long reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

A majestic and luminous church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

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

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A prominent church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A colourful floor

One city, two sites

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

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Discovering the mother church

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

The wall comes to life

Feast days

A miniature city

From International Gothic to present day

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A new site for a new church

The internal colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Burgos crucifix

The theatre of taste

A talking palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some prestigious works

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

The colours of the cathedral

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Searching for colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A symbol for the town

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A half-Baroque church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The interior and its masterpieces

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The city of museums

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A triumph of colour

An eagle-shaped city

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Maiolica of the staircase

Some masterpieces

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The disastrous earthquake

One city, three sites

Prominent façade

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

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

The Baroque town by the sea

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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