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 Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

A miniature city

A square as the heart of the city

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A city in colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

A prominent church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The disastrous earthquake

Modica, a city with ancient origins

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A triumph of colour

A new site for a new city

A colourful floor

A new site for a new church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The two churches

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

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

From International Gothic to present day

The internal colours

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

New roads for Catania

Norman apses

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The church of Carmine

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The chocolate of Modica

Some prestigious works

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Many owners, one palace

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Some masterpieces

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Between white and black

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

Prominent façade

A symbol for the town

A museum to save a tradition

A talking palace

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Staircase of Angels

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

An eagle-shaped city

The Baroque town by the sea

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Searching for colour

The theatre of taste

A hall for the feasts

Feasting in Palazzolo

A long reconstruction

The interior and its masterpieces

The colours of the cathedral

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, three sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Discovering the mother church

One city, two sites

The Burgos crucifix

A majestic and luminous church

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Wonderful quick decorations

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The city of museums

The wall comes to life