Palazzolo Acreide

Some masterpieces

The church houses splendid works that complete and decorate the interior.
The altar area definitely attracts attention. Composed of a series of wonderful elements, the structure behind the altar is a carving masterpiece.
La struttura dietro l’altare La struttura dietro l’altare
It is richly elaborate and a dozen columns surmounted by putto heads complete the composition. The same attention to detail can be found in the use of colour on the lower part of the structure, completely in marble; the artist chose and combined fragments of blue, red, yellow and white marble.

A little above the altar is the painting by Paolo Tanasi completed in 1827.
The work depicts the Annunciation , one of the most important moments in Christian history when the angel announced to the Virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Messiah. Tanasi chose well-defined colours such as yellow, which highlights the shape of the angel, and blue, which emphasises the corporeality of the Virgin Mary.
In the transept you can see the Madonna del Carmelo (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) completely covered in gold. She shines from afar and demands attention. The right nave houses the statue of Santa Teresa (St. Theresa) and as usual, above one of the altars is the depiction of the Holy Family, the Virgin Mary, the Child and John the Baptist.
Un dipinto, dietro l’altare raffigura l’Annunciazione la statua di Santa Teresa Madonna del Carmelo, nel transetto

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

New roads for Catania

Discovering the mother church

A talking palace

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Two illustrious patron saints

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The wall comes to life

The colours of the cathedral

A miniature city

A new site for a new city

A museum to save a tradition

The church of Carmine

An eagle-shaped city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A colourful floor

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The disastrous earthquake

The city of museums

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

Feasting in Palazzolo

A city in colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A feast only for Scicli

A square as the heart of the city

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new church

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

Wonderful quick decorations

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 Chiara

Many owners, one palace

Some masterpieces

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A hall for the feasts

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

A prominent church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The two churches

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The internal colours

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A long reconstruction

The interior and its masterpieces

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Searching for colour

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Some prestigious works

A symbol for the town

Feast days

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The façade used as a puppet theatre

One city, three sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Staircase of Angels

One city, two sites

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A half-Baroque church

A triumph of colour

The Burgos crucifix

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A majestic and luminous church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Norman apses

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

From International Gothic to present day

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public