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.

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

A triumph of colour

An eagle-shaped city

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

A new site for a new church

The Staircase of Angels

New roads for Catania

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The wall comes to life

A prominent church

The disastrous earthquake

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A feast only for Scicli

The Baroque town by the sea

A city in colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Discovering the mother church

A colourful floor

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Norman apses

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A miniature city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The Burgos crucifix

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

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

A hall for the feasts

A half-Baroque church

The internal colours

The colours of the cathedral

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The chocolate of Modica

A square as the heart of the city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The theatre of taste

A new site for a new city

Many owners, one palace

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

One city, three sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The interior and its masterpieces

The church of Carmine

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A long reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

A museum to save a tradition

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A symbol for the town

The two churches

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feast days

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some prestigious works

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The city of museums

A talking palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A majestic and luminous church

Two illustrious patron saints

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

One city, two sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara