Ragusa

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

taste
A freshwater spring

Not far from the church of San Giuseppe (St. Joseph) is Porta Walter. It was built in medieval times and allowed people to leave the city and visit the lush green valley of Santa Domenica.
From here they would reach a spring where inhabitants rushed to quench their thirst and collect as much water as possible, especially on long, sweltering summer days!

sight
A question of perspective!

Depending on the time of day, the levels of the façade and its various elements create a unique and fascinating combination of light effects.
The plays of light and shadow change from hour to hour.
The endless chiaroscuro effects uncover and hide new details each time.

touch
Such rich materials!

The church brings out the diversity of the materials and the infinite possibilities for their use. As a matter of fact, the glass used in the large windows of the vault was also used to decorate the altars with a process that imitates marble.
Used for the worshippers’ seating, wood also proves to be an excellent material for beautiful wooden sculptures such as the Madonna near the altar.
madonna in legno altare

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The interior and its masterpieces

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The church of Carmine

From International Gothic to present day

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

The theatre of taste

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the church of Santa Maria del Carmelo

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Two illustrious patron saints

The city of museums

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

One city, three sites

From the contrast of the exterior to the internal jubilation of colours

The role of the religious orders in rebuilding the Val di Noto

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giovanni Battista

Prominent façade

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Discovering the mother church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Freedom of worship and the role of the Catholic Church in the diffusion of Baroque

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the Mother Church of San Nicolò and of the Santissimo Salvatore

A prominent church

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

New roads for Catania

A talking palace

Norman apses

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A city in colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

A triumph of colour

Some prestigious works

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giuliano ai Crociferi

A museum to save a tradition

The chocolate of Modica

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

One city, two sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The colours of the cathedral

Searching for colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Feast days

Between white and black

Church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) on Via dei Crociferi: reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A half-Baroque church

An eagle-shaped city

A feast only for Scicli

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new city

The two churches

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Burgos crucifix

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A majestic and luminous church

A miniature city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Many owners, one palace

The Staircase of Angels

The internal colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Badia di Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The wall comes to life

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano