Catania

Norman apses

foto delle absidi dall'esternoIn the late 11th century, during the time of Roger II, the cathedral of Sant'Agata (St. Agatha) was built where the Roman baths were located (which are now accessible and can be visited).
When the Normans conquered Sicily and drove out the Arabs, they decided to build a large, important church in the heart of the ancient city of Catania.
Though the cathedral has undergone many transformations over the centuries, the ancient structures of the apses from the Norman period are still preserved today.
To build the new church, Roger II chose a site close to the sea and had an “Ecclesia munita” built, i.e. a fortified church. His decision was not accidental. This way, the city was defended against foreign attacks and the religious power of the Bishop of Catania was demonstrated.
For this reason, thick walls, Embrasures , corridors for Patrols and Merlons were built. They are still visible today in the external parts of the Transept and the Apses .
The Norman structures are easily recognisable because unlike the rest of the building, they are made entirely of lava stone bricks.
Inside, on the other hand, the ancient Norman structure can only be seen in the left apse.
Zoom su feriotie e merli 
The other two (the main apse and the chapel of St. Agatha) are widely decorated and colourful, and both have lost the rigour and austerity of the ancient structure. The left apse still features the old square stone with no decoration.
foto retablo

Some masterpieces

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Many owners, one palace

The interior and its masterpieces

From International Gothic to present day

The chocolate of Modica

A museum to save a tradition

Searching for colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Between white and black

A prominent church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Two illustrious patron saints

One city, two sites

Norman apses

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, three sites

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feast days

The theatre of taste

The Staircase of Angels

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Baroque town by the sea

A talking palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A majestic and luminous church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A half-Baroque church

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

A colourful floor

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A hall for the feasts

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The wall comes to life

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A feast only for Scicli

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Discovering the mother church

The two churches

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Wonderful quick decorations

A symbol for the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A triumph of colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

New roads for Catania

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

A city in colour

The church of Carmine

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

An eagle-shaped city

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

The colours of the cathedral

A long reconstruction

The Burgos crucifix

The city of museums

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Feasting in Palazzolo

Some prestigious works

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

A new site for a new city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A miniature city

The internal colours

A new site for a new church

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara