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

Feasting in Palazzolo

A majestic and luminous church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Maiolica of the staircase

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A triumph of colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The chocolate of Modica

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

Some prestigious works

An eagle-shaped city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Prominent façade

Norman apses

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Many owners, one palace

New roads for Catania

A new site for a new church

A miniature city

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

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A feast only for Scicli

The wall comes to life

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

A museum to save a tradition

The church of Carmine

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A talking palace

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

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

A prominent church

Two illustrious patron saints

Searching for colour

A new site for a new city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A colourful floor

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

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

A symbol for the town

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

From International Gothic to present day

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

The theatre of taste

The interior and its masterpieces

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, two sites

A city in colour

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

The two churches

The disastrous earthquake

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A long reconstruction

Some masterpieces

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The colours of the cathedral

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Staircase of Angels

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Burgos crucifix

Between white and black

The city of museums

The Baroque town by the sea

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A half-Baroque church

Feast days

The internal colours

Connections with other UNESCO sites