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 Maiolica of the staircase

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The interior and its masterpieces

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feast days

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

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

Prominent façade

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The Staircase of Angels

Searching for colour

A half-Baroque church

A feast only for Scicli

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

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Many owners, one palace

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

New roads for Catania

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

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A triumph of colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

An eagle-shaped city

The church of Carmine

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A long reconstruction

Discovering the mother church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A city in colour

The chocolate of Modica

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A square as the heart of the city

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A colourful floor

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A majestic and luminous church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Burgos crucifix

A small room with a golden entrance

One city, two sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The two churches

The colours of the cathedral

Wonderful quick decorations

A prominent church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

One city, three sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Some prestigious works

The theatre of taste

From International Gothic to present day

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A hall for the feasts

The disastrous earthquake

Norman apses

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The internal colours

A new site for a new church

A talking palace

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

A new site for a new city

Between white and black

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Two illustrious patron saints