Members of the San Cataldo Society Women’s Group of Pittston recently held a bake sale
Running the basket raffle were Debbie DelRegno and Jeanie Bantell
(ANS – San Cataldo) – The centenary celebrations of the Salesian presence in the Sicilian town of San Cataldo continue with great enthusiasm
Massimo Naro discussing "The Relevance of Don Bosco’s Social Message," a second "moment of reflection" was offered to the entire community and the people of the Diocese on Monday
at the hall of the Mother Church of San Cataldo
The theme of this gathering was "The Oratory of San Cataldo – Between Memory and Prophecy."
The event featured two distinguished speakers:
titled "A Century of Salesian Presence in the Diocese of Caltanissetta Through the Lens of the Press
Past and Present," retraced the history of the Salesian presence in San Cataldo
from the late 1800s when Bishop Giovanni Battista Guttadauro
personally requested Don Bosco to send Salesians to his diocese
to the ongoing support of the current bishop
who has always been close to the Salesians of San Cataldo
invited attendees to imagine what San Cataldo would be like today without the Church and the Salesian oratory
"Ecclesiality and Salesian Identity in Central Sicily: The Oratory of San Cataldo – Past
and Future," was structured into three phases:
He concluded with a hopeful message: "From memory to dream
and from dream to tangible and meaningful signs."
Bishop Mario Russotto provided the closing remarks for the event
emphasizing: "One cannot imagine San Cataldo without the Salesians; we do not even dare to imagine San Cataldo without them," reaffirming once again that "San Cataldo is Salesian!"
Reflecting on the historical arrival of Don Bosco's followers and the many hidden saints who lived in the town
"The union between the deeply rooted spirituality and faith of San Cataldo and Don Bosco’s charism was truly a nuptial embrace."
The evening was further enriched by the expert moderation of Dr
Marisa Falzone and the musical interludes performed by the female vocal ensemble "Resonantiæ Camera Chorus." A large and engaged audience attended the event
Vice Provincial of the Salesians of Sicily
As Bishop Russotto aptly stated: "The story continues
But one thing is certain: without Don Bosco’s charism and the Salesians in San Cataldo
this story cannot continue as a prophecy … and we want the prophecy!"
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2025 marks an important date for the city of Bari and the Puglia region
with the reopening of the San Cataldo Lighthouse
after a thorough process of recovery and enhancement
welcoming inside the Lighthouse and Radio Museum
which will celebrate the history and fundamental role that lighthouses have played in guiding ships in the Adriatic Sea
This intervention was made possible thanks to the CoHeN-Coastal Heritage Network project
an initiative funded by the Interreg Greece-Italy Program 2014/2020
which involved the Apulia Region in the rehabilitation and refunctionalization of three lighthouses and three towers
destined to become focal points of a new coastal tourist itinerary linking the Adriatic and Ionian shores.The reopening of the San Cataldo Lighthouse will not only be a symbolic act of recovery
but also an opportunity for reflection and creativity
the lighthouse will host the site-specific installation Bagnanti al faro ( Bathers at the Lighthouse ) by Francesco Lauretta (Ispica
created specifically for the site and premiered in conjunction with the museum’s opening
The environmental pictorial work is part of the project Lighthouses and Towers of Secret Fire
promoted by the Fondazione Pino Pascali and the Department of Tourism
Cultural Economy and Territorial Enhancement of the Region of Puglia
a new perspective on some of Puglia’s most striking and significant places
The art project Lighthouses and Towers of Secret Fire
curated by Christian Caliandro and Nicola Zito
interpreted the lighthouses and towers of Puglia as places of memory and potential transformation
Isabella Mongelli and Virginia Zanetti were involved
Each of these artists created an intervention capable of dialoguing with the geographical
historical and cultural context of the various sites
using languages ranging from painting to sculpture
The artists’ works were presented in the group exhibition Lighthouses and Towers of Secret Fire
which was held from August to October 2024 at the Fondazione Pino Pascali in Polignano a Mare
creating an important moment of sharing between contemporary art and historical and cultural heritage
both for the quality of the artistic interventions and for the intent to preserve and enhance places rich in history through creativity
The San Cataldo Lighthouse is one of the central points of this project
Other places that have been the subject of artistic intervention are the Punta Palascìa Lighthouse in Otranto
the Torre-Faro Carlo V of Torre San Giovanni in Ugento
Torre Pietra in Margherita di Savoia and Torre Calderina in Molfetta
Each of these places has received the attention of an artist who has been able to interpret their historical and symbolic importance
helping to make them even more central to Puglia’s cultural landscape
The reopening of the San Cataldo Lighthouse represents
a moment of fusion between past and present
between the tradition of lighthouses and contemporary artistic experimentation
With the opening of the Lighthouse and Radio Museum and Lauretta’s installation
the lighthouse becomes a symbol of a new vision of Apulian culture
capable of enhancing its historical heritage through the language of art
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(ANS – San Cataldo) – "So far I thought that the best Oratory after Valdocco was somewhere else
but from this evening I can say that the best Oratory after Valdocco is the one in San Cataldo"
This is how Fr Pascual Chávez Villanueva
concluded the Immaculate Conception Academy held at the Salesian San Luigi Oratory
at the end of three intense and beautiful days dedicated to the opening of the centenary year of Salesian presence in San Cataldo
It was on 6 December 1924 when the first Salesians arrived in the town in central Sicily
thus beginning a history of education and evangelisation that continues to this day
The celebrations for this important anniversary began on Friday 6 December with a welcome to Fr Chávez and the Provincial of the Salesians in Sicily (ISI)
Fr Giovanni D’Andrea at the Oraotry by the entire Educative and Pastoral Community in the theatre
during which the salient stages of the one hundred years of Salesian presence were retraced
including an address from Fr Chávez on specific topics
to thank the Lord for the gift of the Salesians and the entire Salesian Family (which
culminating in the unveiling of a commemorative plaque
It began with a reflection at the Gaetano Saporito Auditorium – made available by the Toniolo BCC at San Cataldo – and focused on the "Relevance of Don Bosco's social message today"
including various civil and religious authorities
were able to appreciate the rich and profound talks given by Father Massimo Naro
ordinary member of the Pontifical Theological Academy and professor at the Theological Faculty of Sicily
on "The urgency of the future: the oratory response to the change of era"
and Fr Chávez who focused on "Don Bosco: a social response for young people
the performance of some pieces by a teacher and three students from the Vincenzo Bellini Conservatory of Music in Caltanissetta
and the expert service of the ‘Euroform’ students from San Cataldo at the concluding supper enriched the event
The Eucharistic Celebration in the afternoon of the same day at the city's Mother Church was solemn and well attended
Concelebrating with Fr Chávez were Archpriest Fr Alessandro Giambra
the Vice-Provincial of the Salesians in Sicily
some Salesians from San Cataldo or who were once in San Cataldo for a few years
brought a lamp to the altar and placed it before the relic of Don Bosco
It will burn for the entire centenary year at the church in the Oratory
He also proclaimed the "Act of entrusting the City to St John Bosco"
The centenary celebrations continued on Sunday
making an already significant date for the Salesian Family even richer
as it was the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the 183rd bhirthday of the Oratory
in memory of the encounter between Don Bosco and Bartholomew Garelli
After the Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Fr Chávez in a packed church at the oratory
people moved to the upper courtyard for a prayer to Our Lady and for the blessing of the large murals of Our Lady Help of Christians made by Nisseno artist Mirko Cavallotto
a Poste Italiane Pavilion was also set up at the oratory for the special "Celebratory philatelic cancellation" created specifically for the Salesian centenary event
The Immaculate Conception Academy held on the afternoon of Sunday 8 December was certainly the most beautiful way to conclude this first appointment of a year full of scheduled events
already trodden by thousands of young people over a hundred long years
representatives of the different Oratory groups performed
bringing together all age groups in a wonderful show of songs
testimonies and moments of reflection that made one savour the beauty and preciousness of so many children and young people who - as Fr Chávez pointed out in his final message - became ‘protagonists’ of such a beautiful moment
when meeting with the Salesian community and the centenary commission
recalled some words of Don Bosco that must help us understand what the Sanctaldese community is experiencing and celebrating
‘I've always needed everyone.’ It is not just a matter of lending a hand to be more
but it is making the experience of Don Bosco's charism our own
feeling that we share responsibility for his mission
identifying with his cause: the good of the young."
And this is exactly what has been experienced in this oratory over recent days
because – as has been repeatedly recalled – the celebration of a centenary marks the opening of a second centenary of the Salesian presence in San Cataldo
to be filled 'with our creative charismatic madness' as the ISI Provincial said."
fulfills the first part of the previous statement
Partly because the project was not entirely built
and the harshness would be felt more forcefully
Composed of buildings with almost abstract
the cemetery project is a good example of Aldo Rossi's production at the time of its conception
San Cataldo Cemetery. Photo by Luke Stearns, via Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 licenseManfredo Tafuri defends the Rossian language within the architecture theory
The author argues that Rossi's architecture is silent compared to others
constructed from an arbitrary system of signs defined by its creator
As the 1960s saw an infinite number of architectural expressions emerge
Rossi started longing for places where time seemed suspended
He also released his architecture from reality
His architecture became increasingly closed and nostalgic for another era
Tafuri argued that the central point of communication in architecture
The silence of its shapes can only demonstrate the communication system's finiteness
It is as if San Cataldo ceases to "say" anything
San Cataldo Cemetery. Photo by Trevor Patt, via Flickr. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 licenseFor those who come into contact with San Cataldo
Luigi Ghirri seems to reinforce the idea of architectural type
photography reinforces the model of what is represented
The idea or image of the photographed object fixes itself in a certain mental category of the observer
who may recognize them in different contexts
sometimes between the familiar and the unknown
Ghirri attributes these characteristics to Aldo Rossi's work
This can only benefit all parties involved
ARGAN, Giulio Carlo. On the Typology of Architecture.NESBITT, Kate. Theorizing a New Agenda for Architecture: An Anthology of Architectural Theory 1965 - 1995
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Italy - February 2025 - A rich programme of celebrations in honour of Don Bosco was held in San Cataldo
to mark the centenary year of the Salesian presence in the town
Enriching the celebrations was the presence of the distinguished relic of Don Bosco's tongue and larynx
exposed for the first time - as Fr Pierluigi Cameroni
Postulator General for the Causes of the Saints of the Salesian Family
stated - to the veneration of the faithful
has strengthened the city's bond with the Salesian community and with the figure of Don Bosco
the Salesian Family gathered for the Don Bosco Vigil organised by the young people of the Formative Groups
celebrated the Eucharist which was followed by a torchlight procession through the streets of the Don Bosco suburb
the Community welcomed Fr Pierluigi Cameroni
Postulator General for the Causes of Saints of the Salesian Family
who in the evening offered a reflection on the theme ‘Salesian Saints: pilgrims of hope’
Fr Cameroni celebrated the Eucharist in the city's Mother Church
fireworks and the band which accompanied Don Bosco's statue back to the oratory
a musical on the life of Don Bosco by the young people from the Lab'Oratorio CGS Don Bosco San Cataldo
Italy – March 2025 – Not everyone in San Cataldo had the opportunity to see and venerate the relic of Don Bosco
which arrived in the central Sicilian town for the centenary of the Salesian presence there
Don Bosco became a "pilgrim of hope," bringing comfort to those in difficult situations
The gates of the San Cataldo Prison also opened to welcome Don Bosco
whose message still echoes today: “If only someone had taken care of them!” Thanks to the efforts of long-time chaplain Fr
the relic was warmly received by the inmates
who entrusted it with their dreams and hopes
the chapels and wards of the "Maddalena Raimondi" Hospital in San Cataldo and the "Sant’Elia" Hospital in Caltanissetta were filled with tear-streaked faces and hearts full of hope as people sought intercession for healing and the grace to follow God’s will
This profound experience also touched doctors
leaving a lasting impression on many hearts and opening them to hope
Father Francesco Falletta and Father Enzo Spoto
Italy – March 2025 – The Salesian Cooperators of Sicily had an amazing day filled with friendship
Over 150 people from 43 different local SSCC centres came together at the San Luigi Oratory in San Cataldo
The SSCC Provincial Council had organized this event
A key moment at the event was a reflection led by Sr
who offered deep insights into the educational and pastoral mission of Salesian Cooperators today
Discussions also introduced the "Communities of Practice" initiative
aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of apostolic activities
and Francesca shared their experiences in the "Communicating 360°" formation program
demonstrating how communication can be a powerful tool for spreading Salesian values with creativity and impact
The highlight of the day was the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr
raising funds for Salesian missions in Senegal
specifically for the Don Bosco 2000 Association
which is building a medical dispensary to provide healthcare services
Regional Coordinator Simone Battaglia emphasized the importance of shared commitment and responsibility in continuing the Salesian mission with passion and dedication
Luca Cammarata breeds goats in San Cataldo
The hills in the province are barren due to an unprecedented drought
The Cammarata goats are of the Girgentana breed
whose existence is threatened with extinction
In comments he gave to Reuters news agency in recent days
Cammarata noted that water in the heart of Sicily is scarce
might force him to take the goats for slaughter
For centuries this animal has provided products such as cheese and ricotta
Cammarata added that the price of water doubled
and that he would therefore have to rely on the tanker truck of the CarabinieriForestry Department
which every fortnight provides water to farms with animals in the area
was quoted as saying that the situation in this regard in Caltanissetta is a disastrous one
The Sydney native discussed living at home
taking online classes and developing the next generation of Australian “basketballers.”
As Northwestern’s women’s basketball defends its conference title
who appeared in eight games in 2019-20 after recovering from knee surgery
The COVID-19 pandemic has kept Sancataldo home in Australia for the season
she is making the most of the opportunities presented to her
Inside NU: When did you go back to Australia after the cancellation of the 2019-20 season
Jess Sancataldo: I went back in the middle of March
We were thinking that we were going to have a big party for the NCAA selection [show]
Phillips came in and called a team meeting in the film room and said
You’re all going home.” Straight after that
I booked my ticket as fast as I could because flights to Australia were being canceled
and then I had to self-isolate for two weeks before I could go out
I didn’t actually tell my parents I was coming home
which isn’t a great idea during a pandemic
but I called my grandma and we schemed about it
and I was sitting down on the couch at home and waited for them to walk in the door
My dad looked at me and looked away and looked at me like I was a ghost
INU: Did you have the chance to come back to Evanston for the season
I thought there was no way I’d be able to go back
because the Australian government isn’t letting people leave the country
I could apply for an exemption but that would take a month-and-a-half to get approved
The main thing that’s kept me here is that no one can get into Australia
they’re only allowing 1000 people back into the country every month
which is unfortunate because if I was able to get home from America
I have friends from around the world currently stranded with nowhere to go
INU: How difficult has it been not to play this season
JS: I can’t tell you how much I miss playing with my team
Watching the livestream and the live stats
but I’m doing what I can to prepare so that when I go back
I should be able to fit in right away and help them win some games
INU: How have you adjusted to being away from the team and staying in shape
It is hard not being able to play for a team
The NCAA has a rule that I’m not allowed to play for any other teams here because it’s basketball season at the moment
which is hard because I really want to play with my mates
But I’m able to play 1-on-1 with my friends
I have some mates who are here who would be playing college ball
I definitely miss the team environment and the facilities at Northwestern
INU: How have you been keeping up with your teammates and coaches throughout this season
JS: I’ve been messaging the girls a lot and keeping up to date
I’ve been messaging the girls who graduated last year as seniors a lot
because they’ve gone in different directions
I’ve also been communicating a lot with the coaches
They’ve been calling and keeping me up to date
I’ve loved watching the first-years getting out there and doing their thing
and I just can’t wait to meet them in person
I just love how the people off the bench have been stepping up into their roles and providing that spark when the starters get tired
INU: Have you been able to watch your games
JS: I don’t have a subscription to ESPN or BTN
because sometimes it’s not available in Australia
I watch the live stats on ESPN and then I wait and see the video on Hudl and it’s broken down really well
I watch all the highlights on Twitter as they roll through
INU: How have you adjusted to online school
I’m really good at calculating it in my head
but if I have an assignment due on Thursday at 5 p.m.
I have to think “okay that’s Friday at 10 a.m.” Getting out of bed to do Italian at 4:30 a.m
I’m grateful that I can still have an education from here
It is really rewarding when I can get it done
INU: Are there any advantages to being in Australia right now
aside from the lack of COVID-19 cases relative to the United States
and it doesn’t occur to me that people are walking in the background
“What’s that feel like?” It took me a moment because that doesn’t happen in America
It is really great to be with my family and have Christmas together for the first time in a few years
I haven’t had an Australian summer in three years and get to be with my sister as well
I love being able to do my education from home and stay in contact with everybody
I’m also doing a lot of work in basketball in Australia trying to help development with younger people and try to help people get to college — some of my mates
trying to make that process easier for them
It’s something I want to pursue after I graduate from Northwestern
I’ve done a lot of individual sessions with kids
I’m breaking down a lot of film with the younger age groups of children and talking with parents to educate them about the college pathway
It’s not the easiest process to get there with recruitment and exposure and once you get an offer from a university
finding which one is the best fit for you and what they’re hiding
There’s not a lot of money in basketball in Australia
and unfortunately for the younger age groups if you get hit with one bad coach
your playing career is over because you miss that development
I’m trying to teach kids as much as I can before I go back
INU: Have you ever envisioned yourself coaching at Northwestern
JS: I’d be very fortunate to have a role at Northwestern
I’m actually coaching seven days a week in Sydney
I’m trying to mentor some of the younger coaches who don’t have as much experience but want to get into basketball coaching
I wasn’t really sure about it before I went to Northwestern
I use to do some individual coaching and run camps by myself for kids
I’ve been on a mission to help develop them and it’s just inspired me to keep going
INU: When did you first get in to coaching
I’m regularly working with four or five kids
I’m mainly working with kids who have aspirations of going further in basketball
I don’t want to be someone who’s a baby sitter
I want to help someone who has dreams and aspirations of playing in the future
I’m lucky that I get to work with some really good high school players
INU: Have you taught any of the kids you coach the Blizzard defense
JS: I break down film with girls who want to play basketball in the future
and they’ll ask ‘What defense is that?’ I’ll maybe try to explain the Blizzard in 25 words or less
and you can see their eyes go all over the place
Maybe when they’re older they’ll learn all about it
Maybe that’ll be the new Australian style of defense
As soon as teams cut it up we find a different way to change it
INU: Is being recruited out of Australia a challenge
JS: My year was the biggest recruiting class ever from Australia
Each year it seems to be growing and getting bigger
There were a lot of girls that didn’t know about the process
they’d get to college and be great basketballers but didn’t realize you also had to study at the same time and had to take the community college route
The American and Australian university systems are two very different systems
and people don’t figure it out until it’s too late
INU: Do you have any idea of when you can return to Evanston
JS: I hope that I could return relatively soon
Every week I check to see what the Australian government are doing about people coming home on flights
because that’s the main thing determining when I come back
I don’t think it’s going to be changing for a few more months
but I remember getting emails that the rest of spring quarter would be online
and the next minute the dorms are shut for the following quarter
Among the regions most receptive to marble inlay
seventeenth-eighteenth-century Apulia boasts a substantial number of examples
Among the greatest examples of Neapolitan Baroque outside Naples is the Cappellone di San Cataldo in Taranto Cathedral
1); together with the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament
it has fortunately survived the restorations of the 1950s
aimed at the elimination of all the ’additions’ of the modern period
Marble cladding predominates in it from the floor to the walls
an architectural module very common in Baroque Rome
though mediated by some Neapolitan examples (church of San Sebastiano
the Cappellone di San Cataldo does not seem to have direct comparisons with similar chapels built in modern times in Neapolitan churches
It is accessed through a vestibule of quadrangular shape
the Cappellone remains unique in Apulia for the marble decoration that from the cornice on which the dome is set proceeds downward; on the two half-ellipses are distributed five niches that follow a decreasing trend
At the point of agreement of the two half-ellipses
the most important niche was carved out to preserve the silver statue of Saint Cataldo
The decision for such a construction was due to the Neapolitan Tommaso Caracciolo of the princes of Avellino
a Theatine and archbishop of Taranto since 1637; he
in order to restore the proper decorum to the cathedral
which had been devastated by a terrible fire on Christmas night of the previous year that reduced the organ and the roof to ashes
decided to repair the cathedral by showing greater attention to the chapels on either side of the presbytery area
In that of the Blessed Sacrament he had stucco decorations and paintings executed
as well as having a human-sized portrait of him in a prayerful
kneeling attitude inserted before the new altar
which features a tabernacle decorated with inlaid marble
an example that immediately brings to mind the one in sculpture of Oliviero Carafa in the succorpo of the cathedral of San Gennaro
executed by an anonymous sculptor in the early 16th century)
Cataldo under the archbishopric of Caracciolo was built in its essential lines
being still incomplete with its roof in 1663
as has been reiterated on several occasions by Mimma Pasculli Ferrara
that its architect was Cosimo Fanzago (Clusone
since the Cappellone appears as a “perfect synthesis of architecture
sculpture and pictorial decoration and a typical expression of that religious triumphalism inspiring much artistic production of the seventeenth century.” From a stylistic analysis with another admirable example of Neapolitan Baroque
built in 1665 on commission from Neapolitan nobles
for which Fanzago received as much as 1885 ducats
the scholar identifies in the Taranto Cappellone a stylistic detail that seems to be the signature of the sculptor from Bergamo
In several panels is placed in the base and top a slightly raised lanceolate point
which if in the Cappellone di San Cataldo is repeated three times in theintrados of the entrance arch from the vestibule to the room proper
in the Carthusian monastery of San Martino in Naples it is a constant solution that Fanzago adopts on the entrances to the various chapels
mindful of what was being accomplished in those years in Naples with the construction of the chapel of the Treasury in the cathedral
begun in 1608 and completed about four decades later
wanted to have a Cappellone built in the Apulian city as well that would be worthy of the city’s patron saint
according to precise directives that would contribute to the constitution of a unified project
the work went on for more than a century and saw the alternation of many artists
as would seem to be confirmed by archival documents unearthed in recent times by Mimma Pasculli Ferrara and architect Gabriella Morciano
who was already present in Naples in 1637 among the members of the Guild of marble workers
was responsible for the construction of the high altar (fig
as can be seen from a contract drawn up on May 10
from which we learn that he received a sum of 2,000 ducats for the altar that he was to build within two years
Truly remarkable is the report of the reuse of many ancient marbles
some from the church of San Domenico that abounded in different parts of the city
while to carry out the work Lombardelli called five other ’masters’ to Taranto
Giovanni built the chapel of Santa Maria del Popolo commissioned by Bishop Caracciolo in 1651 and decorated only in patire from 1662; he
1663 (it was destroyed in 1844 by then Bishop Blundo)
in which each part is characterized by a rich decoration with phytomorphic elements
from the antependium to the lateral ones up to the steps of the postegal
surmounted by two columns that frame the niche within which the’ancient silver statue of St
were added during the archbishopric of Francesco Pignatelli
as evidenced by the presence of the coat of arms with three pine cones
of information about the period from 1676 to 1695
the year in which Giovanni Lombardelli must likely have already been deceased because to direct the work in the Cappellone
who would work over the next four years in accordance with the original project
with the “same good and perfect mastria with all the arch and frontispiece of that.” Pasculli Ferrra
taking into account a dossier related to a lawsuit between Tommaso Algisi
who had a house adjoining the new construction
and the deputies of the Chapel of San Cataldo
Giacomo Marianna and Cataldo Antonio Cossetta
in addition to the construction of the altar
proceeded to cover the walls of the Cappellone with committed marble
It goes without saying that in 1676 if it was decided to furnish the Cappellone with the high altar it was because it was to appear finally complete
and therefore this date constitutes the terminus ante quem for the masonry covering
which had to be executed after 1663 and in any case under the archbishopric of the Dominican Tommaso di Sarria
who moved from the diocese of Trani on April 13
called to fill the see left vacant by the late Tommaso Caracciolo
In the minutes of a pastoral visitation held in 1671
the bishop still mentions the old chapel of San Cataldo
located to the left of the cathedral’s high altar and complemented by an altar dedicated to the saint; as will be examined
in the 18th century it was decided to transform it into the vestibule that today gives access to the current Cappellone
during the archbishopric of the Neapolitan Francesco Pignatelli
entered into a contract with the deputies of the Chapel
by which he undertook to continue the work in the Cappellone according to the original design and to finish it within four years
the new archbishop Giovan Battista Stella arrived in Taranto
who was responsible for commissioning the fresco decoration of the dome by Paolo De Matteis (Piano Vetrale
who depicted the Glory of Saint Cataldo (fig
4) and Episodes from his life between the windows of the drum of the dome
and the work on the covering of the vestibule or anticappella (the ancient chapel of St
Cataldo) by the Neapolitan marble worker Andrea Ghetti
was not interrupted but continued by Nicola and Francesco Ghetti
Andrea’s brother and nephew respectively
under the episcopacy of Casimiro Rossi (1733-1738) and Giovanni Rossi (1738-1750) from 1736 to 1742
proposed to the deputies of the Chapel the restitution of the ducats obtained for work that had not actually been done
and in 1742 the marble mason Aniello Gentile was called in to estimate the work completed by the Ghetti for 3010 ducats against the 3550 received
when he turns out to be deceased and the deputies called in the surveyors Gennaro de Martino and Gennaro Cimafonte to assess the state of the work; unfortunately
the accounts of that survey have not come down to us
but according to the studies of Mimma Pasculli Ferrara
Gentile had to almost completely complete the floor decoration and the entire wall of the counterfacade
when he was transferred to Naples; in his place came the Montecassino Benedictine Isidoro Sanchez de Luna of the dukes of Arpino
who wanted to endow the Cappellone with 1,500 ducats for the creation of worship objects
commissioned the Neapolitan marble mason Domenico Tucci
based on the design of Giuseppe Fulchignone
which would be completed by the iron gate forged by master ironworker Rocco Imperato and covered in brass by master brassworker Pasquale Terrone
who collaborated with Tucci himself so that the result would be in harmony with the architecture
Through archival data tracked down by Gabriella Marciano
it is known that these ducats were likely used to pay for the work of Giuseppe Sanmartino (Naples
who in 1772 obtained 1,600 ducats for the creation of the statues of St
obtaining three hundred ducats for the first two respectively because they were larger than the others
They were placed inside niches covered with mixed marble
opted for the creation of corbels on which the aforementioned statues rest
while as a reminder of the archiepiscopal bequest
he wanted to insert the coats of arms of Bishop Sanchez de Luna
on the Taranto cathedra sat since 1759 the Theatine Francesco Saverio Mastrilli
After the great experience with Raimondodi Sangro
which led Sanmartino to the creation in 1753 of the famous Veiled Christ
consecrating him among the greatest sculptors of the 18th century
the Taranto experience was another great success
Giuseppe Sanmartino stipulated the contract in Naples on March 30
procurator of Bishop Mastrilli; the stipulation set the time for delivery by October 1773 and provided for the creation of two larger statues
to be placed in the central niches of the Cappellone
to be placed in the niches lateral to the central ones
it seems that the desired arrangement was observed only in part
in that on the sides of the Assisian saint were to be arranged Saints Philip Neri and Francis of Paola
while on the sides of the Guzman saint were to be placed Saints Irene and Teresa (fig
on the sides of Saint Francis of Assisi are placed Saint Francis of Paola and Saint Irene
The sculptor also executed clay models to be submitted to the attention of Giuseppe Fulchignone and “some good painter” of whom the documents do not specify anything else; Elio Catello has identified two such sketches depicting saint Philip Neri
which compared to the final version has few variations concerning the paludamento
and saintFrancescod’Assisi at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna
The statues were sculpted directly in Naples
and Giuseppe Sanmartino was to bear the expenses of “transporting them to the navy of Naples,” while on the journey to Taranto the deputies of the Chapel of San Cataldo would provide
the Saint Francis of Assisi precedes a second version attributable between 1785 and 1788
preserved at the museum of San Martino in Naples
but coming from the church of Sant’Efremo Nuovo and intended to be placed on his tomb; for the execution of the Saint Dominic
the Vaccarian memory of the same saint for the spire of the same name in Naples must have been still vivid in Giuseppe Sanmartino’s mind
perhaps because at the same time the sculptor was finishing the statues of Saints Peter and Paul for the facade of the Gerolamini church in Naples
previously rough-hewn by Cosimo Fanzago; the saint is portrayed according to the usual iconography that wants him with his gaze rapt toward heaven
and the gesture of moving back his torso gives the sculpture a strong gestural quality
Elio Catello seems to identify a strong collaboration by the sculptor’s pupils
Theresa is posed in “contrapposto,” as she carries her right leg forward
to which corresponds her left arm raised and bent to better emphasize the fineness of the elongated metacarpal of the hand brought toward her chest; her face
is characterized by a very sweet expression
a solution that the sculptor experiments with
in two allegories in the cathedral of San Martino in Martina Franca
in which the execution of the sculptural group is really high and where Sanmartino achieves extraordinary results in the foreshortened view of the figure
“a work that like few others encapsulates all the poetics of the master
together with a firm structure that highlights Bernini-like nostalgia.”
with Giuseppe Sanmartino’s group of statues
the Chapel of San Cataldo was nearly completed in all its magnificence; on May 3
Archbishop Mastrilli entered into a contract with Filippo Beliazzi in Naples through his procurator Giovanni Leonardo Mascia; the latter
having already worked at the Carthusian monastery of San Martino
was probably advised to the Taranto bishop by the same Sanmartino
who had worked on the chapels of San Martino and the Assumption four years earlier
Beliazzi undertook to execute the floor in front of the Cappellone di San Cataldo
in the center of which Mastrilli’s tombstone was placed
The munificent archbishop wished that the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament could also be enriched with marbles
from the floor with red Venetian marble in the background with a central polylobed motif of black and yellow white tessellations to that of the right arm of the transept
also in colored marbles with a double star and semistar motif
from the door on the short wall of the transept
symmetrical and mirroring the one executed by Filippo Beliazzi in the arm opposite the altar with sculptors executed by Giuseppe Sanmartino
and in 1790 he again approached Giuseppe Sanmartino for the creation of a St
11) to be inserted in the vestibule; the stipulation
bears the date of November 25 and was ratified in Taranto the following December 2
The sculptor would have executed the statue depicting the putative father of Jesus of the same height as the one of Saint John G ualbert recently made by the same for Don Saverio Carducci Agustino and placed probably since August 1789 in another niche in the vestibule
of which a drawing still remains preserved by the Carducci family
“to be considered one of the highest autographs of the last production of the master” in which "a special attention to the pressing neoclassical instances
at that time in Naples particularly felt by a certain patronage 700 ducats
some of Giuseppe Sanmartino’s last works
considering that he would die in 1793; almost two centuries after the first works
initiated almost certainly by Cosimo Fanzago
the Cappellone di San Cataldo was finally considered finished
with the exception of still four other vacant niches
which it was planned to fill with as many statues
13) attributed by Riccardo Naldi to the Renaissance sculptor Giovanni Nola
Mark were sculpted by the Neapolitan Giuseppe Pagano in 1804 for 453 ducats
I want to reiterate some important data concerning the figure of Giuseppe Sanmartino
took his first steps in the workshop of Domenico Antonio Vaccaro
who had inherited all the artistic sensibility of his father Lorenzo
another point of reference for our sculptor
Certainly if well known are the artistic events concerning the second half of the 18th century
scarce are those relating to Sanmartino’s youthful activity
considering that the earliest known information to date dates back to 1750
the year in which he executed a clay model of St.VincenzoFerreri based on a drawing by the painter Giuseppe Bonito
in partnership with the marble worker Giovanni Cimafonte
he made two statues for the cathedral of Monopoli (Bari)
Apulia is among the regions that hold the highest number of Sanmartino sculptures
from Taranto (I recall the Angels on the cathedral’s high altar
where the cathedral houses the beautiful St
forged in 1793 by Biagio Giordano from a design by Giuseppe Sanmartino
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…(with Gianni Braghieri) for the Cemetery of San Cataldo (1971–84) in Modena
Rossi’s design for the sanctuary of the cemetery
a heavy cube standing on square pillars with raw square windows carved out in symmetrical layers
After delays to the San Cataldo Container Terminal (SCCT) investment programme because of COVID-19
the terminal could be ready to welcome its first vessel as soon as July
In May 2020, Konecranes’ engineering team arrived at the SCCT in Taranto to start crane revamping project
The team’s arrival was scheduled for the end of 2019
the pandemic delayed the investment programme
It is expected that the port will be ready to accept the first container vessel from CMA CGM in July 2020
The total revamping project is estimated to be complete in one year
DP World is set to implement OneStop Modal and the OneStop Vehicle Booking System (VBS)
The US House of Representatives has voted to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency‘s (EPA) 2023
global schedule reliability surged to 57.5 per cent
Container throughput at the Port of Melbourne totalled 267,000 TEUs in March 2025
Cover image: ©Associated Press The death toll has risen to at least 70
Northwestern Adds Jess Sancataldo to 2018 Class11/16/2017 9:50:00 AM | Women's Basketball
their second floating offshore wind project
The location is off the coastline of southeastern Italy between Brindisi and San Cataldo
the same partnership submitted their EIA for the nearby Odra Energia development to Italy’s Ministries of Environment and Energy Security (MASE) and Culture
The documents cover the predicted impacts of the development and will be made published over the next few weeks on the MASE Environmental Assessment online portal for consultations
Kailia Offshore involves the installation of up to 78 floating wind turbines with a projected capacity of 1,170 MW and production of about 3.4 billion kWh/year
The estimated overall cost is close to Eur4 billion ($4.36 billion)
by Elisa Mazzini /// October 31
hushed whispers: monumental cemeteries carry with them a historical and emotional burden
that barely anyone can be indifferent to that
Here are three monumental cemeteries to visit in Emilia-Romagna to learn more about the history and memory of this Italian region
The Certosa di Bologna is one of the oldest cemeteries in Europe; it was in fact established in 1801 as a city cemetery after the conquest of the city by the Napoleonic troops
It was built in an area used in Etruscan times as a necropolis – whose finds, discovered during archaeological excavations carried out between 1869 and 1873, are kept in the Civic Archaeological Museum
From 1334 to 1796 it was occupied by the Carthusian convent of San Girolamo di Casara – whose church still houses a cycle of paintings dedicated to the life of Christ
made by the main Bolognese painters of the mid-seventeenth century
the cemetery was then enriched with new spaces and cloisters
until it took the labyrinthic aspect of a real open-air museum
with precious decorations and funeral monuments
The Charterhouse thus soon became a privileged destination for international nineteenth-century tourism – among the most famous visitors Lord Byron and Charles Dickens
Not to be missed in particular the Third Cloister and the Seventh Cloister
which houses the tomb of the Marconi family
there are many other important figures of local and national history
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT CERTOSA DI BOLOGNA
Certosa di Bologna | Credit: Gaia Conventi
Certosa di Bologna | Credit: Renata Sedmakova via ShutterStock
The historic monumental cemetery of the Certosa di Ferrara is located within the city walls, in the area of the so-called Addizione Erculea (Renaissance Addition)
Founded as a Carthusian monastery in 1452 at the behest of Borso d’Este
the complex originally stood outside the walls: in that period the walls were located in the current Corso della Giovecca
The monastery was incorporated within the Herculean Addition only in 1498
the same year in which the famous Ferrara’s architect Biagio Rossetti designed the Church of San Cristoforo alla Certosa
After the monastery was closed because of the Napoleonic suppressions
until it acquired its current role of city cemetery in 1813
when it was purchased by the Municipality of Ferrara
from Duke Borso d’Este to the painter Giovanni Boldini
The Charterhouse of Ferrara can be discovered by following 3 thematic itineraries:
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT CERTOSA DI FERRARA
Certosa di Ferrara | Credit: Gaia Conventi
Certosa di Ferrara | Credit: Fabio Caironi
Cimitero di San Cataldo - Ossario progettato da Aldo Rossi | Credit: AJ165
Cimitero di San Cataldo - Ossario progettato da Aldo Rossi | Credit: oltrelautostrada
Parte nuova progettata da Aldo Rossi | Credit: Gaia Conventi
Cimitero storico monumentale di San Cataldo | Credit: Gaia Conventi
The San Cataldo cemetery in Modena comprises the monumental cemetery built in the years 1858-1876 by the architect Cesare Costa and the new part, the work of the famous Milano’s architect Aldo Rossi with Gianni Braghieri
created between 1971 and 1987 in a rationalist-metaphysical style and only partially completed as compared with the project
is considered a masterful expression of Rossi’s poetics
allows access to a “surreal” city
where – in the intention of Rossi himself – the private relationship with death becomes a civil relationship with the institution
The link between the city of the living and the city of the dead is evident above all from the drawings that the shadows make in the spaces of the cemetery
which recall the shadows of the arcades typical of the Emilian cities
The cemetery is located far from the city center
The external enclosure is a continuous wall 13 meters high and 5 meters wide
made up of buildings; each building contains two rows of columbaria
crossed in the center by a straight path about 4 meters wide
Square windows follow one another on a regular basis in all buildings
in pierced brick color with square windows
contains the shrine of the fallen in the world wars and in the partisan struggle
The historic monumental cemetery is instead formed by a large rectangular quadriportico with long corridors and Doric columns
At the main entrance, there is the mausoleum-shrine of the fallen in the liberation struggle in World War II, at the center of which is installed the sculpture A battle: for the partisans made in 1971 by Arnaldo Pomodoro
This part of the cemetery hosts also some famous personalities for Modena and world history
DISCOVER MORE ABOUTCERTOSA DI SAN CATALDO
Social Media Manager for @inEmiliaRomagna and full-time mom
by Davide Marino /// February 28
by Davide Marino /// September 20
by Davide Marino /// April 23
an email (in Italian) with selected contents and upcoming events
For information, contact us: inemiliaromagna@aptservizi.com
From the Ground Up is a series on Archinect focused on discovering the early stages & signs of history's most prolific architects
Starting from the beginning allows us to understand the long journey architecture takes in even the formative of hands and often
surprising shifts that occur in its journey
These early projects grant us a glimpse into the early
ambitious and at points rough edges of soon to be architectural masters
In this installment we look at Aldo Rossi and his San Cataldo Cemetery
While not his first project under his own name
it would become the project tied to the progression and growth of his career and one of his largest impacts on the discipline as a whole
disciplinary and literary standards within our world
words and images have become references for endless careers and movements and yet
the project he is most known for is one that represents the end of careers and the end of traditional movements
Aldo Rossi's unfinished San Cataldo Cemetery in Modena, Italy, is considered one of the first and most critical Postmodern buildings
At the center of the proposal sits the object of attention for this excursion
Here we find the focal point of his design
a cube-shaped ossuary for housing remains and a conical tower that marks a communal grave
Set within a courtyard on the outskirts of Modena
the ossuary is covered in soft terracotta styled render
while the perimeter buildings that enclose the courtyard feature steely blue roofs
Rossi was both working towards housing projects and starting to explore the conceptual and philosophical aspirations for his architectural investigations along with those of the discipline at large
Rossi designed the Cemetery of San Cataldo for a 1971 competition that called for an extension to the existing nineteenth-century Costa Cemetery
This geometric twin is one that is traditionally exempted from drawings and records but is what gave the main formation and bounds to Rossi's proposal
Employing conventions of perspective developed in the fifteenth century
Rossi uses an aerial view to give a sense of the cemetery in both plan and elevation
One enters this wall-enclosed space through a gate opposite what seems to be an abandoned house
a cubic structure designed as a collective or nondenominational temple to be used for funeral
you are positioned and forced through successive rectangular structures
ribbed ossuaries that rise in height as they diminish in length
The journey towards death itself is punctuated by a cone-shaped smokestack monumentalizing a communal grave for the unknown
and referencing the industrial landscape beyond
Rossi's design is rooted in an Enlightenment typology of the cemetery as a walled structure set on the outskirts of town
It is built simultaneously in the mind and in the built realm
It not only recalls the adjacent Costa Cemetery but
"complies with the image of a cemetery that everyone has." A structure without a roof
it is a deserted building intended for those who no longer need the protection of shelter-a house for the dead in which life and death exist as a continuum within the collective memory
Rossi uses the power of the narrative of death
the idea of its definite arrival as a tool of both architectural investigation and as a symbol of architecture's limits
Through his use of aerial perspective, elemental form, and color
Rossi constructs a visual passage through the drawing that corresponds to the journey through the cemetery
Shadows stem from a particular light source yet reference no particular time of day
Shadows lie in order to delay the passing of time and the coming of death
is colored with a Northern Italian palette and draws our eye not back into space but rather up the page
the drawing presents a road toward abandonment in which time seems to stand still
A masterful expression of Aldo Rossi's the cemetery remains a public building with the necessary clarity and rationality of the paths with the right utilization of the terrain
To think that such a project might not have happened if Rossi had not come so close to death himself in the weeks leading up to the submission is truly remarkable
Rossi had instead been working towards the Centre George Pompidou competition
but a serious car accident just weeks before the deadline hospitalized Rossi and thus made his bid for the project impossible to complete
This coming so close to death caused Rossi to rethink his tendencies and desires of his own work and instead launched him into the force that he was to become
While this may not be the first of Rossi's projects
it would become a main aspect of the Rossi that we know and revere today
Anthony George Morey
Anthony Morey is a Los Angeles based designer, curator, educator, and lecturer of experimental methods of art, design and architectural biases. Morey concentrates in the formulation and fostering of new modes of disciplinary engagement, public dissemination, and cultural cultivation. Morey is the ...
Interesting article! Rossi was very influential on my in school in the late 80's.
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Ossuary of the San Cataldo Cemetery, Modena, Italy
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The presentation of the monograph "The devil's gold - History of sulfur and its extraction in Sicily" will be held on Saturday 15 April at 10:00 in San Cataldo (CL)
The event is organized by the Department of Biological
Geological and Environmental Sciences of the University of Catania
which recently joined ReMi with the aim to cooperate in the definition of a cultural itinerary of sulfur in central Sicily
The work is also part of the collaboration already started with the Municipality of Caltanissetta for the establishment of the First World Park of the Mediterranean lifestyle and with the Sicily Region
The ReMi coordinator will participate in the event
Further information
Italy - April 2023 - The Salesian Youth Movement's " Youth Feast," experienced by 500 girls and boys from all the oratories of Sicily
was held in the city of San Cataldo on Sunday
in the true spirit of the Salesian Youth Movement
The April 16 event was aimed especially at middle school children
who are approaching Don Bosco's charism for the first time
The reception was managed by the large and friendly community of San Cataldo
together with the animators of the Salesian Oratory of Mazzarino
The day's theme was "Where there's a Courtyard
#acasAnonacasO," based on the certainty that only when one is in the courtyard does one feel at home
Superior of the Salesian Province of Sicily
recalling the beauty of living Baptism in one's daily life
not only in the Oratory but also at school
in the family; and of being "credible Christians," as Blessed Rosario Livatino said
wished everyone to cultivate the gift of friendship and to always continue their journey toward Jesus
the Salesian Youth Movement of Sicily is already looking forward to the next event: the "Camp Savio," scheduled for next summer
Italy - April 2019 - On 6 April a young Salesian who grew up and was educated in the "San Luigi" oratory of San Cataldo
during the Eucharistic celebration for the first time presided over by the new priest
nine aspiring Salesian Cooperators issued their promise