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 Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The Baroque town by the sea

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Searching for colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

One city, three sites

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The chocolate of Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The theatre of taste

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A colourful floor

From International Gothic to present day

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some masterpieces

A majestic and luminous church

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

The colours of the cathedral

The internal colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A prominent church

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A long reconstruction

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new site for a new city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new site for a new church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A feast only for Scicli

The Staircase of Angels

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

Wonderful quick decorations

The wall comes to life

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The city of museums

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The disastrous earthquake

A small room with a golden entrance

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Discovering the mother church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The interior and its masterpieces

A symbol for the town

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A city in colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The church of Carmine

A hall for the feasts

The two churches

Between white and black

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The Burgos crucifix

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

An eagle-shaped city

Some prestigious works

Many owners, one palace

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

A half-Baroque church

Feast days

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A miniature city