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

The city's name comes from the Arabic word "call at – al - Giran", which means "Hill of Vases". It was inhabited by people in the prehistoric times, as evidenced by two of the necropolis, dated to the second Millennium BC, and numerous archaeological finds. The Arabs built in Caltagirone castle, which in 1030 attacked Ligurian troops under the command of the Byzantine commander George Maniac. In the years of the reigns of the Norman and Hohenstaufen dynasty in Sicily, the city flourished, becoming a recognized center for the production of ceramics.

Among the interesting attractions in Caltagirone mention the Museum of Pottery, created in 1965, where a collection of ancient and modern pottery and ceramic pots, including, to the era of Ancient Greece. Not less interesting religious buildings Caltagirone, for example the Norman Church of St. Julian, on the facade which worked Saverio gully. The Baroque Church of San Francesco di Paolo is notable for its sacristy, built in the Gothic style before the earthquake of 1693, which destroyed the city. The New temple of the Capuchins was built of stone in the 12th century, and the Church of San Francesco d'assisi in 1236. The latter was restored in Baroque style. Its facade is decorated marine with. Finally, the Church of gesù end of the 16th century stands out with eight statues of saints and Madonnas, installed on the facade, and inside you can see the painting by Filippo Paladino's "pietà" and a picture of the Polydor da Caravaggio's "Nativity". Other significant buildings in the city is Palazzo Sentria built in the 15th century and served as City Hall.

But perhaps the main attraction of Caltagirone is Grand staircase of Santa Maria del Monte with 142 steps, built in 1608. Each step is decorated with unique handmade ceramics with different styles and numbers. On the day of the patron Saint of St. James – July 25 – the ladder candles, which are arranged in a special way to play the pattern in a size of several tens of meters.

Because Caltagirone always been famous for its pottery, majolica and terracotta, it is still possible to buy a variety of exquisite gifts from these materials. In addition, in the vicinity of the city grow grapes, olives and delicious peaches.