Ragusa

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento (Most Blessed Sacrament), to the right of the main apse is marvellous, a veritable triumph of colours and materials. Colourful elements welcome worshippers at the entrance and form the basis of the entire chapel’s decoration.

zoom La cappella del Santissimo Sacramento
La cappella del Santissimo Sacramento

The polychrome polychrome altar immediately attracts the attention of passers-by. Red, green, white and gold are featured in the aedicula , where the painting of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus was placed in the 19th century.
The wall decorations, the stuccoes , the gold and the blue background embellish the interior of the chapel and transport worshippers to a supernatural dimension.

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Using relief, the chapel recounts some of the most important moments in Christ’s life such as the Supper at Emmaus, carved in marble and inserted in the lower part of the altar in a medallion, and other stucco depictions placed at the sides of the altar.
These show the Offering of Melchizedek, a very important figure in the Old Testament who offers bread and wine to God in the name of Abraham, and the Last Supper in imitation of the famous fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, now kept in the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan.

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St. Sebastian, so much work!

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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A miniature city

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A long reconstruction

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

The theatre of taste

An eagle-shaped city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The Staircase of Angels

A symbol for the town

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Maiolica of the staircase

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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The Burgos crucifix

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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One city, three sites

Norman apses

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Between white and black

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A small room with a golden entrance

A square as the heart of the city

A triumph of colour

A talking palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Feast days

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Searching for colour

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Some masterpieces

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A Nobel Prize in Modica

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A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The wall comes to life

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The two churches

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Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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Prominent façade

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Some prestigious works

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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The church of Carmine

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The disastrous earthquake

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A colourful floor

Many owners, one palace

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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A hall for the feasts

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New roads for Catania

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Two illustrious patron saints

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Limestone, the colour of harmony

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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The chocolate of Modica

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The internal colours

A prominent church

From International Gothic to present day

The interior and its masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations