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

The two churches

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

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Norman apses

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The theatre of taste

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new city

Feast days

A majestic and luminous church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

One city, three sites

Between white and black

New roads for Catania

A triumph of colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A small room with a golden entrance

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Discovering the mother church

A symbol for the town

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Staircase of Angels

The colours of the cathedral

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

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The wall comes to life

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Maiolica of the staircase

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A hall for the feasts

The church of Carmine

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

Wonderful quick decorations

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

One city, two sites

The chocolate of Modica

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Many owners, one palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Baroque town by the sea

The city of museums

St. Sebastian, so much work!

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

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

An eagle-shaped city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A long reconstruction

A colourful floor

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A museum to save a tradition

A prominent church

A city in colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The disastrous earthquake

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

A talking palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new site for a new church

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Searching for colour

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A miniature city

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some masterpieces

A square as the heart of the city

Some prestigious works

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Burgos crucifix

From International Gothic to present day

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The internal colours