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

Two illustrious patron saints

Norman apses

The two churches

The church of Carmine

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The internal colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

The interior and its masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Wonderful quick decorations

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A hall for the feasts

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

The theatre of taste

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The Baroque town by the sea

An eagle-shaped city

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A city in colour

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

New roads for Catania

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

Some masterpieces

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Feasting in Palazzolo

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The colours of the cathedral

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

A museum to save a tradition

A talking palace

A feast only for Scicli

A miniature city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A triumph of colour

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feast days

Discovering the mother church

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

One city, two sites

A colourful floor

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

A new site for a new city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

One city, three sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chocolate of Modica

Searching for colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The disastrous earthquake

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

The Staircase of Angels

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The wall comes to life

Between white and black

Some prestigious works

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The city of museums

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Prominent façade

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The Burgos crucifix

A long reconstruction

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A symbol for the town

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

A half-Baroque church

Many owners, one palace