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

One city, two sites

The colours of the cathedral

A feast only for Scicli

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The chocolate of Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The city of museums

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The Burgos crucifix

The two churches

A Nobel Prize in Modica

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Maiolica of the staircase

A miniature city

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The interior and its masterpieces

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

The Staircase of Angels

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The theatre of taste

From International Gothic to present day

A colourful floor

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The disastrous earthquake

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Prominent façade

Discovering the mother church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Searching for colour

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

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

An eagle-shaped city

A small room with a golden entrance

A majestic and luminous church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

Between white and black

A hall for the feasts

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The wall comes to life

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some prestigious works

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new church

The internal colours

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A prominent church

A long reconstruction

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

New roads for Catania

A symbol for the town

A new site for a new city

The church of Carmine

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Many owners, one palace

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A talking palace

A museum to save a tradition

A half-Baroque church

A city in colour

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

One city, three sites

Norman apses

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A triumph of colour

Feast days

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library