Scicli

The Burgos crucifix

The church houses the original painting of the Burgos Crucifix.
The work is known to date from 1696 thanks to an inscription on the back of the canvas that reveals the year it was painted, but not its author.
There is equally dubious and unclear information about the commission and the dynamics that brought the work to the church of San Giovanni Evangelista (St. John the Evangelist). It was likely a Spanish artist linked to a commissioner who was also Spanish, or of Spanish origin, and the canvas is presumed to have been either a gift from an aristocratic family, perhaps the Di Stefano family (Giovanna Di Stefano founded the monastery), or the dowry of a young high-ranking nun.
The painting tela crocifisso di Burgosrecounts the most tragic moment in Christian history, the Crucifixion.
The dark background of the canvas conveys anxiety and all the tragedy of the event. Christ is shown in the centre of the canvas with a bowed head, long hair, beard and crown of thorns; his body shows clear signs of suffering and he has numerous wounds on his arms and chest. As per tradition, his hands and feet are nailed down.
What is completely unusual is the white robe that Jesus wears; embroidered and ankle-length, it is not often seen in paintings. It stands out from the near-black background, while the cross fades into it. Two silver cups and an ostrich egg are placed beneath the cross. In Christian symbolism, the ostrich egg represents resurrection.
Though Christ’s pose is the one we see in most depictions, the same cannot be said for his robe, making the unprecedented representation an important testimony.

A long reconstruction

Between white and black

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A symbol for the town

Two illustrious patron saints

New roads for Catania

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The wall comes to life

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Baroque town by the sea

The Burgos crucifix

A new site for a new city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A square as the heart of the city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The disastrous earthquake

The chocolate of Modica

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

A new site for a new church

A hall for the feasts

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The theatre of taste

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

From International Gothic to present day

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The colours of the cathedral

Norman apses

The Maiolica of the staircase

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A majestic and luminous church

A talking palace

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A colourful floor

Many owners, one palace

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Wonderful quick decorations

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Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A triumph of colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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A city in colour

A half-Baroque church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Prominent façade

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

The internal colours

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Feasting in Palazzolo

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

A small room with a golden entrance

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The two churches

A prominent church

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, three sites

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

One city, two sites

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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A Nobel Prize in Modica

The interior and its masterpieces

Some prestigious works

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Searching for colour

The Staircase of Angels

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