Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

sight
Brightness and light

Colour, light and more colour!
The vault is a riot of colour, capable of making the figures and shapes stand out, and leaving visitors gazing upwards.
As for the altar, it attracts attention thanks to the brilliance and shine of gold, silver and the precious sparkling stones used to decorate it.
The church is a treasure trove of precious jewels.

hearing
A sound to accompany prayer

It’s 1790 and you’re inside the church of St. Benedict, attending one of the services… You can hear something… what is it?
The organ!
With a sound alternating between gentle and low, it accompanies prayer as impressed worshippers celebrate Holy Mass.
Then the bells announce the end of the service.
Their chimes vibrate in the atmosphere and resonate along Via dei Crociferi.

Many owners, one palace

From International Gothic to present day

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A hall for the feasts

A triumph of colour

The Baroque town by the sea

The chocolate of Modica

One city, two sites

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Feast days

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A half-Baroque church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The city of museums

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The internal colours

The Staircase of Angels

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Searching for colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

Prominent façade

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

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Wonderful quick decorations

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Feasting in Palazzolo

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Some masterpieces

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

The disastrous earthquake

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

One city, three sites

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A symbol for the town

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

The colours of the cathedral

The wall comes to life

Between white and black

A talking palace

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new church

A museum to save a tradition

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A colourful floor

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

A miniature city

A prominent church

A majestic and luminous church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The two churches

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A feast only for Scicli

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A long reconstruction

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The theatre of taste

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

An eagle-shaped city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

New roads for Catania

The Burgos crucifix

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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