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.

Wonderful quick decorations

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

An eagle-shaped city

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The internal colours

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The theatre of taste

A museum to save a tradition

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A colourful floor

A feast only for Scicli

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The city of museums

The Staircase of Angels

A talking palace

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Modica, a city with ancient origins

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A symbol for the town

Discovering the mother church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A miniature city

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

Norman apses

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

The disastrous earthquake

New roads for Catania

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Searching for colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Feasting in Palazzolo

Many owners, one palace

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

A city in colour

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The church of Carmine

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The chocolate of Modica

The wall comes to life

A prominent church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, three sites

A square as the heart of the city

Feast days

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

One city, two sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Burgos crucifix

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

Between white and black

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some prestigious works

Some masterpieces

The two churches

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Maiolica of the staircase

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The colours of the cathedral

A long reconstruction

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

From International Gothic to present day

A new site for a new church

A triumph of colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A half-Baroque church

A small room with a golden entrance

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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