Catania

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Giardino dei Novizi (Garden of Novices) is one of the most fascinating places in the monastery.
Over the centuries it has suffered a great deal of damage and experienced various transformations. In 1977 work began to restore the monastery, supervised by architect Giancarlo De Carlo .
The Garden of Novices, as the name suggests, was reserved for those beginning their spiritual journey to become part of the religious order, where they would observe and learn the Benedictine way of life.
The garden was built atop the accumulation of lava after the 1669 eruption; in the 20th century, it was destroyed to make room for a gymnasium that did not last long. The architect  De Carlo recovered the old garden, restored the area, added a spiral staircase and fountain and turned it into a green space open to all.
foto giardino novizi foto dettagli piante giardino

A small room with a golden entrance

A square as the heart of the city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Prominent façade

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

A colourful floor

A new site for a new church

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

One city, three sites

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

Searching for colour

A triumph of colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

New roads for Catania

The disastrous earthquake

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Burgos crucifix

The Baroque town by the sea

A new site for a new city

A feast only for Scicli

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A Nobel Prize in Modica

One city, two sites

The theatre of taste

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feast days

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Between white and black

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

A prominent church

The Staircase of Angels

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Discovering the mother church

Wonderful quick decorations

The interior and its masterpieces

The chocolate of Modica

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A half-Baroque church

The two churches

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The church of Carmine

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

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

An eagle-shaped city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Norman apses

A talking palace

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

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

A long reconstruction

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The city of museums

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Limestone, the colour of harmony

From International Gothic to present day

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

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

Many owners, one palace

A miniature city

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

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