Innovation and culture in perfect harmony
Pulcherrima, from Latin for “most beautiful, is a cultural and tourism enhancement project promoted internally by the Archdiocese of Catania to connect some of the most important churches in the city of Etna through a shared network.
The churches of Badia di Sant’Agata, a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto, San Giuseppe al Duomo, Santa Rita, SS. Trinità, and Santa Maria dell’Aiuto with the adjoining Casa di Loreto, are the protagonists of an itinerary that brings tradition and innovation together.
The real face of Catania
While fully respecting the sacred nature of these sites, Pulcherrima offers innovative visitor itineraries by applying digital technologies to the experience of cultural heritage.
A single multimedia guide provides visitors with tools to understand each site, along with opportunities for personalized exploration.
Virtual tours, audio interviews, and thematic insights are available directly on the visitor’s device, allowing each person to shape their own path through the experience.
The project was created with the aim of restoring full visibility to places that preserve centuries of history, art, and devotion, integrating them into a unified narrative of the city.
Through the dialogue between historical research, digital technologies, and cultural hospitality, Pulcherrima proposes a contemporary way of engaging with religious cultural heritage, one that can speak to different audiences.
It is an experience that leads to a renewed awareness of Etna’s artistic and religious tradition, where historical memory enters into dialogue with the present and where beauty takes centre stage: the very beauty that defines Catania after its reconstruction following the earthquake of 1693 and that, in every sense, makes the city… Pulcherrima.
