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.

A prominent church

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

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

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The theatre of taste

A hall for the feasts

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new city

The interior and its masterpieces

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A triumph of colour

The wall comes to life

The internal colours

Many owners, one palace

The church of Carmine

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

From International Gothic to present day

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

New roads for Catania

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The colours of the cathedral

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

One city, three sites

Feast days

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Discovering the mother church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A square as the heart of the city

Feasting in Palazzolo

A museum to save a tradition

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A feast only for Scicli

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

Some prestigious works

The Staircase of Angels

Norman apses

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

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

A new site for a new church

One city, two sites

Wonderful quick decorations

A symbol for the town

The city of museums

Connections with other UNESCO sites

An eagle-shaped city

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A small room with a golden entrance

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The disastrous earthquake

A majestic and luminous church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A colourful floor

Prominent façade

The Baroque town by the sea

Two illustrious patron saints

Between white and black

A talking palace

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A half-Baroque church

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

Searching for colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The two churches

The Burgos crucifix

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A long reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica