Catania

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

sight
The façade with a play on colour

foto bicromiaOf all the wonders of Piazza Duomo, the cathedral certainly does not go unnoticed.
Thanks to a play on colour between the white limestone and grey lava stone, the façade figures prominently in the square.
The two colours alternate with one another to create a perfect harmony that adds liveliness to the façade.
The colours are not always the same; at different times of the day they shine differently depending on the light.

touch
Coarse to smooth, hot to cold

Look but don’t touch! How many times have you heard this said in museums or churches?
But if you could touch each material that made up the church you would notice how different they are; starting with the pillars that separate the central nave from the lateral naves, the former in lava stone and the latter in white limestone.
On a hot summer day, the outside walls will be much warmer than those inside, which will be undoubtedly cold.

hearing
Music in the Cathedral

foto dell'organo l'interno della cattedraleThe church has an unbreakable bond with music.
The cathedral of St. Agatha is not only home to a magnificent organ, now located above the entrance, but the tomb of the musician Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835).
Though he died very young, he was recognised as one of the greatest composers of his time.
The artist’s tomb was created in 1876 by Giovanni Battista Tassara and is located next to one of the pillars of the right nave.
Bellini was initially buried in Paris at the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

taste
A dessert for a saint

During the feast dedicated to St. Agatha, the “Minne di Sant’Agata”, a dessert made in her honour, are another must.
The shape is unambiguously reminiscent of a woman’s breast, in memory of the terrible martyrdom suffered by the saint.
The dessert consists of a shortcrust pastry shell covered with white icing with a candied cherry on top; the filling is made with sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta, candied fruit and dark chocolate. Yum! Not to be missed if you happen to be in Catania during the feast. foto dei dolci delle minne di Sant'Agata

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The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A colourful floor

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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Some prestigious works

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Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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Two illustrious patron saints

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Between white and black

Feast days

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The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The chocolate of Modica

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Prominent façade

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The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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The disastrous earthquake

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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Norman apses

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Wonderful quick decorations

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

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A Nobel Prize in Modica

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Limestone, the colour of harmony

A long reconstruction

A square as the heart of the city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The two churches

The Maiolica of the staircase

New roads for Catania

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

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

A half-Baroque church

A majestic and luminous church

The Burgos crucifix

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Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Baroque town by the sea

A hall for the feasts

Discovering the mother church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The internal colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The wall comes to life

A talking palace

The theatre of taste

A new site for a new church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A prominent church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Many owners, one palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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The colours of the cathedral

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