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 Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Baroque town by the sea

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Burgos crucifix

A new site for a new church

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

A symbol for the town

A majestic and luminous church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

Between white and black

A hall for the feasts

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Two illustrious patron saints

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A museum to save a tradition

One city, three sites

The wall comes to life

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 Sebastiano

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The Staircase of Angels

A miniature city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

An eagle-shaped city

A colourful floor

Many owners, one palace

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A half-Baroque church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Norman apses

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some masterpieces

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Prominent façade

A feast only for Scicli

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

Searching for colour

A talking palace

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

The chocolate of Modica

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A city in colour

A long reconstruction

Feast days

A new site for a new city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A triumph of colour

The theatre of taste

The church of Carmine

A prominent church

One city, two sites

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The colours of the cathedral

The internal colours

The Maiolica of the staircase

The interior and its masterpieces

A small room with a golden entrance

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The disastrous earthquake

The city of museums

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The two churches

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

A square as the heart of the city

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph