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 kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Feast days

The disastrous earthquake

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Burgos crucifix

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The interior and its masterpieces

The church of Carmine

The theatre of taste

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The colours of the cathedral

A symbol for the town

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

New roads for Catania

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A prominent church

A hall for the feasts

The wall comes to life

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

Norman apses

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Staircase of Angels

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The two churches

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A triumph of colour

A talking palace

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The city of museums

A small room with a golden entrance

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Discovering the mother church

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new church

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

A colourful floor

From International Gothic to present day

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Some prestigious works

Some masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feasting in Palazzolo

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A feast only for Scicli

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

Prominent façade

A half-Baroque church

Searching for colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A long reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Between white and black

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The chocolate of Modica

A square as the heart of the city

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

One city, three sites

A miniature city

The internal colours

Many owners, one palace

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, two sites