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 character of Badia Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

An eagle-shaped city

The chocolate of Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A prominent church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Burgos crucifix

One city, three sites

The Staircase of Angels

A half-Baroque church

The interior and its masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The wall comes to life

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Between white and black

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feast days

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new church

The church of Carmine

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From International Gothic to present day

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Baroque town by the sea

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The two churches

Discovering the mother church

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Some masterpieces

A long reconstruction

Norman apses

A museum to save a tradition

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

One city, two sites

A city in colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

Many owners, one palace

A hall for the feasts

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

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Some prestigious works

A small room with a golden entrance

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The city of museums

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

A feast only for Scicli

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Searching for colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new city

A talking palace

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A miniature city

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A triumph of colour

A symbol for the town

The colours of the cathedral

The internal colours

The disastrous earthquake

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Maiolica of the staircase