Palazzolo Acreide

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The church of San Sebastiano (St. Sebastian) is located in the centre of Palazzolo Acreide, a few metres from the town hall in Piazza del Popolo.facciata da piazza del popolo pieno giorno
Over the centuries the church was rebuilt and modernised several times. The first religious building dedicated to St. Sebastian probably dates back to the 15th century and was built where the church of San Rocco (St. Roch) used to stand.
Very quickly the church proved to be too small and so it was extended; in 1655 the new structure was finished.
But the joy of having a new church did not last long, as the violent earthquake of 1693 almost completely destroyed the church. For many years religious services were held in a hut, a makeshift structure not far from the remains of the church.
Years passed and those in charge of the religious congregation felt the need to rebuild and give the district back its church. The stages of construction were long and complex due to economic difficulties and various debates, especially with the nearby Capuchin friars.
The end result was an incredible sight; it was difficult not to be enchanted by it.
Whether in broad daylight, by the light of sunset, the darkness of the evening, or Christmas lights, the church attracts attention and arouses a strong feeling of majesty and grandeur.

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Some prestigious works

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From International Gothic to present day

Discovering the mother church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

New roads for Catania

A miniature city

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A triumph of colour

A square as the heart of the city

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

Feast days

A city in colour

The theatre of taste

A museum to save a tradition

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Norman apses

The city of museums

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A small room with a golden entrance

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The internal colours

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

One city, two sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new church

A long reconstruction

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

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

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

Prominent façade

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The disastrous earthquake

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

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

Many owners, one palace

A talking palace

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

The church of Carmine

The Burgos crucifix

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Wonderful quick decorations

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, three sites

The interior and its masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Searching for colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A half-Baroque church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A prominent church

The two churches

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A colourful floor

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

A majestic and luminous church

A new site for a new city

Some masterpieces

Modica, a city with ancient origins

An eagle-shaped city