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

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Burgos crucifix

The church of Carmine

Many owners, one palace

Between white and black

A new site for a new city

The colours of the cathedral

The two churches

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feast days

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The internal colours

The city of museums

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The disastrous earthquake

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Prominent façade

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A symbol for the town

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A half-Baroque church

Some masterpieces

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Some prestigious works

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

A small room with a golden entrance

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

One city, three sites

A city in colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A colourful floor

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Baroque town by the sea

From International Gothic to present day

New roads for Catania

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Wonderful quick decorations

The theatre of taste

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new site for a new church

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A hall for the feasts

Searching for colour

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

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

An eagle-shaped city

A miniature city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The interior and its masterpieces

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Maiolica of the staircase

A prominent church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A talking palace

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

One city, two sites

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Staircase of Angels

A feast only for Scicli

A museum to save a tradition

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A majestic and luminous church

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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