Caltagirone & Santa Maria del Monte Staircase
Scalinata di Santa Maria del Monte, Caltagirone
The 142-step majolica staircase of Caltagirone, the ceramics capital, where each step's riser has a different painted design and the stairs are lit with candles during festivals.
Caltagirone is Sicily's ceramics capital and one of the Val di Noto World Heritage towns. Its landmark is the Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built in 1606, with 142 steps connecting the lower town to the Church of Santa Maria del Monte on the hilltop. Each riser is faced with hand-painted majolica tiles in a different design. On July 24 and 25 each year, for the Feast of Saint James, thousands of candles are arranged into patterns and lit along the staircase, and in May it is decorated with flowers. Ceramic workshops line both sides of the stairs, and the town also has a ceramics museum. Caltagirone is about 100 km from Syracuse by car, making a day trip possible.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Donnafugata Castle
- Ragusa Ibla
- Palazzolo Acreide
- Modica
- Punta Secca
- Scicli
- Cava d'Ispica
- Necropolis of Pantalica