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

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

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

A talking palace

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

Norman apses

One city, three sites

A majestic and luminous church

Some masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The colours of the cathedral

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

Between white and black

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

An eagle-shaped city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A symbol for the town

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A hall for the feasts

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chocolate of Modica

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The church of Carmine

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A prominent church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The disastrous earthquake

A miniature city

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

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

Wonderful quick decorations

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The two churches

Many owners, one palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Baroque town by the sea

A new site for a new church

The internal colours

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Feast days

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Staircase of Angels

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A half-Baroque church

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Discovering the mother church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The city of museums

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Some prestigious works

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A colourful floor

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A museum to save a tradition

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

New roads for Catania

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A triumph of colour

The theatre of taste

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A city in colour

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

The wall comes to life

A feast only for Scicli

A long reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Searching for colour

The interior and its masterpieces

Modica, a city with ancient origins