Catania

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

sight
A hypnotic floor

With a splendid geometric design of curved and broken lines pointing towards the centre, the floor of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) mesmerises all who look upon it.
The effect is amplified by the contrast between the colours of the floor.
The red stone alternating with white marble with light grey veins is enough to make your head spin.

hearing
The singing of the Benedictines

On the Feast of St. Agatha, the saint’s statue is carried around the city streets in procession.
The long route takes us in front of the church of San Giuliano (St. Julian), where the devout Benedictine nuns, hidden behind the grilles, hear prayers, honour the Saint and take part in one of the most important celebrations.

The Baroque town by the sea

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Feast days

The disastrous earthquake

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A miniature city

One city, two sites

The Burgos crucifix

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A talking palace

The chocolate of Modica

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Some masterpieces

A city in colour

A museum to save a tradition

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A half-Baroque church

A majestic and luminous church

Discovering the mother church

Many owners, one palace

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

One city, three sites

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

New roads for Catania

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

Prominent façade

Some prestigious works

The façade used as a puppet theatre

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A square as the heart of the city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Staircase of Angels

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new site for a new church

A feast only for Scicli

Between white and black

A prominent church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A symbol for the town

The theatre of taste

The church of Carmine

The internal colours

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A hall for the feasts

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Norman apses

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The two churches

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The city of museums

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Searching for colour

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A long reconstruction

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A colourful floor

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A triumph of colour

The wall comes to life