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 Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

The two churches

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The wall comes to life

The disastrous earthquake

Some prestigious works

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A long reconstruction

A museum to save a tradition

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Norman apses

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A square as the heart of the city

A colourful floor

One city, two sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A talking palace

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

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

Searching for colour

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Prominent façade

A city in colour

The theatre of taste

A feast only for Scicli

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The church of Carmine

The Baroque town by the sea

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

One city, three sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

The city of museums

Limestone, the colour of harmony

An eagle-shaped city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A symbol for the town

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Staircase of Angels

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A hall for the feasts

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Many owners, one palace

The Burgos crucifix

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Wonderful quick decorations

A small room with a golden entrance

The Maiolica of the staircase

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

A half-Baroque church

New roads for Catania

Between white and black

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feasting in Palazzolo

Feast days

A majestic and luminous church

The internal colours

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A miniature city

The façade used as a puppet theatre