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

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The two churches

A triumph of colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The wall comes to life

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

A hall for the feasts

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The interior and its masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

Two illustrious patron saints

The church of Carmine

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

A prominent church

A colourful floor

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new church

A museum to save a tradition

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A long reconstruction

Some masterpieces

From International Gothic to present day

Many owners, one palace

A city in colour

One city, two sites

The colours of the cathedral

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Between white and black

The chocolate of Modica

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

An eagle-shaped city

A symbol for the town

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

The Baroque town by the sea

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Prominent façade

The disastrous earthquake

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A small room with a golden entrance

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

New roads for Catania

The Burgos crucifix

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The theatre of taste

The Maiolica of the staircase

Feast days

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A miniature city

A majestic and luminous church

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

One city, three sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some prestigious works

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A square as the heart of the city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A new site for a new city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Searching for colour