Once a year, on the feast of the town’s patron saint (San Giacomo<\/em>, 25 July), the staircase is lit with coloured candles arranged to form a large design (find out more by consulting the Caltagirone visit<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"Scala](\"https:\/\/www.sicile-sicilia.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/caltagirone_773-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a>Scala Santa Maria del Monte<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n What to see above all in Caltagirone<\/h2>\n
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- The Scala de Santa Maria del Monte<\/strong> : this emblematic staircase of 142 steps, entirely decorated with polychrome ceramic tiles, is the symbol of the town.<\/li>\n
- The church of Santa Maria del Monte<\/strong> : located at the top of the staircase, this former Baroque church offers a viewpoint over the whole town and houses interior frescoes.<\/li>\n
- The Regional Museum of Ceramics<\/strong> : a must for understanding the history of Caltagirone’s ceramic art, with around 2,500 pieces tracing production from prehistory to the present day.<\/li>\n
- The Cathedral of Saint Julian (San Giuliano)<\/strong> : a remarkable Baroque building, its dome is covered with ceramic tiles \u2014 the interior features frescoes by Giuseppe Vaccaro.<\/li>\n
- The Public Garden (Villa Comunale)<\/strong> : a peaceful English-style space where greenery, a Moorish ceramic kiosk and views over the town mix, perfect for a relaxing stop.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\u2192 Also read the page about the Caltagirone visit<\/a><\/p>\n
Powered by GetYourGuide<\/a><\/span><\/div>\nHistorical overview<\/h2>\n
Its name comes from the Arabic Qalaat-al-Ghiran<\/em> (“the hill of the Jars”).
The site has been inhabited since prehistory<\/strong>, as evidenced, among other things, by two necropolises from the 2nd millennium BC.
It was later populated by the Sicels<\/strong>, before the Roman<\/strong> occupation.<\/p>\nDuring their occupation of Sicily, the Arabs<\/strong> built a castle here and developed ceramic production, thanks to the local clay and wood to fuel the kilns. They also left many traces in the local dialect.
The town subsequently prospered under the Normans<\/strong> and the Hohenstaufen, becoming renowned for its ceramics.<\/p>\nIt was in the 15th-17th centuries that the town experienced its golden age, when it was enriched with churches, colleges and convents, the Jesuit university and a hospital.<\/p>\n
Almost entirely destroyed by the earthquake of 1693<\/strong>, many buildings were rebuilt in Baroque<\/strong> style, and Caltagirone was inscribed as a UNESCO heritage site along with towns in the region such as Noto<\/a>.
With the reconstruction, the art of ceramics flourished with new productions and decorations, vases, basins, architectural decorations, tiles and more. Then from the 19th century onwards, the manufacture of figurines, such as nativity scene characters, flourished.<\/p>\nOver the course of history, various communities settled in the town and left their mark on its development, such as Genoese, Catalans, Amalfitans and Jews.<\/p>\n
- The church of Santa Maria del Monte<\/strong> : located at the top of the staircase, this former Baroque church offers a viewpoint over the whole town and houses interior frescoes.<\/li>\n
- The Scala de Santa Maria del Monte<\/strong> : this emblematic staircase of 142 steps, entirely decorated with polychrome ceramic tiles, is the symbol of the town.<\/li>\n