Caltagirone

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

sight
Infinite colours for a single staircase

scala-infisorata-caltagironeWow!
The Staircase of St. Mary of the Mountain during the town’s most important feasts is an exciting sight.
In May the taircase becomes a colourful carpet of plants and flowers that perfume the air and together create a spectacular design dedicated to the Madonna dei Conadomini.
But it doesn’t stop here! To celebrate St. James and the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, 4000 tea lights are lit, one by one, to form a unique design on the staircase!
All the inhabitants take part and thousands of people meet at the foot of the staircase, all looking for the best viewpoint.

smell
The scent of the feasts

In addition to its colours and lights during the two most important feasts, the Staircase of St. Mary of the Mountain is also filled with various scents.
The smell of flowers accompanies the feast dedicated to the Madonna Conadomini, while burning wax is the typical aroma for the celebrations of St. James and the Assumption of the Virgin.
The flames of 140 tea lights illuminate the staircase until they go out, giving way to a slight burning smell.

The wall comes to life

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A majestic and luminous church

The two churches

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

A new site for a new city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Prominent façade

The interior and its masterpieces

Some masterpieces

A symbol for the town

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

One city, two sites

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Searching for colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new church

A miniature city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A small room with a golden entrance

An eagle-shaped city

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

A city in colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some prestigious works

A hall for the feasts

A colourful floor

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The internal colours

Discovering the mother church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

One city, three sites

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The theatre of taste

Between white and black

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Feasting in Palazzolo

The city of museums

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

A triumph of colour

Norman apses

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

New roads for Catania

The colours of the cathedral

Feast days

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The chocolate of Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

A prominent church

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

The Staircase of Angels

A talking palace

A museum to save a tradition

A square as the heart of the city

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

From International Gothic to present day

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

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

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

A half-Baroque church