In 1775 the bell tower of the old church of San Tommaso Apostolo (St. Thomas the Apostle) was demolished. The clock was not thrown away or discarded, but preserved and can still be admired today on the façade of the Cathedral of San Giorgio (St. George) built by Gagliardi. ...

Bituminous rock or "Pietra Pece" is a limestone impregnated with bitumen, i.e. petroleum. The first evidence of pietra pece stone working in Ragusa dates back to Greek times. In fact, some sarcophagi were found in the southern outskirts of the town. Other ancient artefacts date from all ages such...

A volute is a spiral decoration that wraps around a circular central core....

Bossage is a slightly protruding decoration on the outer walls of buildings. This masonry work is carried out using blocks of stone positioned horizontally....

John the Baptist lived in the desert, eating insects until he could begin God's mission. His task was to spread the word of God and erase sin through Baptism in the waters of the River Jordan; Jesus was also baptised by John the Baptist. The saint died by order of King Herod. First he was impriso...

The new church site was more convenient and better positioned. Items that were considered important and necessary were moved from San Giovanni Lo Vecchio di Ibla (St. John the Old of Ibla) to the new church. The old site is described in a document from 1737. It portrays the former site as a horrib...

A parvis is a consecrated space located in front of the main façade of a church. It is often found at street level or higher. It can be enclosed by a gate or balustrade....

A corbel is a structural architectural element. It is fixed to the wall, protrudes from it and is used to support the elements above....

Giant order is an architectural term. It is used to refer to the columns or pillars of a façade. Their uniqueness lies in their height: they are as tall as the entire façade, higher than one storey. It's also known as colossal order....