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

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A long reconstruction

One city, two sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The city of museums

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

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Feast days

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

From International Gothic to present day

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

A majestic and luminous church

Between white and black

A small room with a golden entrance

A miniature city

A prominent church

The colours of the cathedral

A city in colour

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The church of Carmine

The Burgos crucifix

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

The interior and its masterpieces

The wall comes to life

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Norman apses

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A colourful floor

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A hall for the feasts

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The two churches

The internal colours

The chocolate of Modica

The theatre of taste

A triumph of colour

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A museum to save a tradition

Searching for colour

The Baroque town by the sea

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A symbol for the town

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

New roads for Catania

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Prominent façade

Some prestigious works

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

A new site for a new city

A half-Baroque church

A talking palace

Many owners, one palace

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some masterpieces

The Staircase of Angels

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