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

A miniature city

Some prestigious works

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

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

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Staircase of Angels

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

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

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The Burgos crucifix

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

One city, three sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Feast days

A hall for the feasts

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A long reconstruction

One city, two sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Between white and black

A majestic and luminous church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

An eagle-shaped city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

The interior and its masterpieces

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

A city in colour

A prominent church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

Many owners, one palace

New roads for Catania

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

A museum to save a tradition

A colourful floor

The disastrous earthquake

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A triumph of colour

From International Gothic to present day

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Searching for colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new church

The city of museums

A symbol for the town

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Maiolica of the staircase

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The two churches

Some masterpieces

Norman apses

Discovering the mother church

Two illustrious patron saints

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The internal colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A talking palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?