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

A majestic and luminous church

The disastrous earthquake

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Norman apses

The internal colours

Between white and black

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A museum to save a tradition

A feast only for Scicli

Feasting in Palazzolo

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The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The city of museums

Searching for colour

A new site for a new church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The theatre of taste

Some masterpieces

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The wall comes to life

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some prestigious works

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

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

New roads for Catania

The colours of the cathedral

From International Gothic to present day

Discovering the mother church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

A triumph of colour

A half-Baroque church

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A prominent church

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

The two churches

An eagle-shaped city

A miniature city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A square as the heart of the city

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Feast days

A talking palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Many owners, one palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The church of Carmine

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

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

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Prominent façade

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, three sites

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Burgos crucifix

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A hall for the feasts

A city in colour

A long reconstruction

A small room with a golden entrance

The chocolate of Modica

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

One city, two sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Limestone, the colour of harmony