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 disastrous earthquake

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A symbol for the town

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

The chocolate of Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Discovering the mother church

The Maiolica of the staircase

The two churches

From International Gothic to present day

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A small room with a golden entrance

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

The theatre of taste

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A miniature city

The Baroque town by the sea

Some masterpieces

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

One city, two sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Between white and black

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The colours of the cathedral

The city of museums

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Feast days

A museum to save a tradition

Feasting in Palazzolo

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

One city, three sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Staircase of Angels

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A hall for the feasts

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A half-Baroque church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

An eagle-shaped city

Many owners, one palace

A feast only for Scicli

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A city in colour

A long reconstruction

New roads for Catania

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A triumph of colour

A new site for a new church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The wall comes to life

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Two illustrious patron saints

Norman apses

Some prestigious works

A talking palace

The internal colours

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Wonderful quick decorations

A new site for a new city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A prominent church

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Searching for colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church