Caltagirone - a small town in Sicily in the province of Catania, 70 km from Catania. According to the 2004 census, there were about 40 thousand people. Caltagirone - is one of eight cities in the region Val di Noto, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO for its unique architecture in the style of "Sicilian Baroque".

The town's name comes from the Arabic word "kal'at - al - Giran," which means "Hill of Vaz." It was inhabited by humans as far back as prehistoric times, as evidenced by two of the necropolis dating from the second millennium BC, and numerous archaeological finds. The Arabs built a castle in Caltagirone, who in 1030 attacked by Ligurian troops under the command of the Byzantine commander George maniac. During the rule of the Normans and the Hohenstaufen dynasty in Sicily, the city flourished, becoming a recognized center for the production of ceramics.

Among the interesting attractions Caltagirone worth noting Pottery Museum, created in 1965, where a collection of ancient and modern pottery and ceramic tableware, relating, inter alia, to the era of ancient Greece .  No less interesting are the religious buildings of Caltagirone, for example Norman Church of St. Julian, where he worked on the facade Saverio Gully .  The baroque church of San Francesco di Paolo is notable for its sacristy, built in the Gothic style even before the earthquake in 1693 that destroyed the city .  New Capuchin Church was built of stone in the 12th century, and the church of San Francesco d'Assizi - in 1236 .  The latter was rebuilt in Baroque style .  Its facade is decorated with maritime symbols .  Finally, the Church of the Gesu end of the 16th century stands out eight statues of saints and the Madonna, mounted on the front, and inside you can see paintings by Filippo Paladino "Pieta" and Polydor da Caravaggio painting "Christmas" .  Another significant structure of the city is the Palazzo Senatrio, built in the 15th century and served as the town hall .

But perhaps the main attraction of Caltagirone can be called a grand staircase Santa Maria del Monte with 142 steps, built in 1608. Each stage is decorated with unique hand-made pottery using different styles and numbers. On the day of the patron saint of St. James - July 25 - staircase light candles, which are arranged in a special way to reproduce the pattern of a few tens of meters.

Since Caltagirone has always been famous for its pottery, majolica and terracotta, here and today you can buy a variety of exquisite souvenirs from these materials. In addition, in the vicinity of cultivated grapes, olives and delicious peaches.