Ragusa

One city, two sites

The town of Ragusa Ibla is built across three different hilly areas separated by a deep valley.
The town is the union of Ibla and Ragusa: Ibla was founded by the Sicels, before the birth of Christ. Ragusa, on the other hand, has much less ancient origins and is linked to the tragic earthquake.foto città nel complesso Following the earthquake, when deciding where to rebuild the town, no agreement could be reached.
The population was divided into two factions: the sangiorgiari suggested the old site; the sangiovannari sought to rebuild it elsewhere.
The former were aristocrats of very old lineage who lived in the parish of San Giorgio (St. George); the Sangiovannari, on the other hand, who lived outside the walls in the district of San Giovanni (St. John), were made up of the poor and the nouveau riche. Neither side wanted to give in, so two independent towns were built. foto IblaIbla was rebuilt on a lower hill than Ragusa and the old road layout was maintained.
Ragusa was planned perfectly with a system of roads that crossed at right angles.
Though rebuilt independently and autonomously from one another, Ragusa and Ibla share the style of Baroque art.
Over time the clear division was lost and the inhabitants began to live in the intermediate space, but it was not until 1926 that Ibla and Ragusa were reunited.foto ragusa

Many owners, one palace

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feast days

The city of museums

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Burgos crucifix

The colours of the cathedral

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

An eagle-shaped city

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A new site for a new city

One city, two sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, three sites

A museum to save a tradition

Two illustrious patron saints

The chocolate of Modica

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

From International Gothic to present day

The disastrous earthquake

A long reconstruction

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feasting in Palazzolo

Searching for colour

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

The theatre of taste

The Staircase of Angels

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A hall for the feasts

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A city in colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A half-Baroque church

A symbol for the town

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Some prestigious works

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Norman apses

A talking palace

A triumph of colour

New roads for Catania

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new church

A miniature city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A square as the heart of the city

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The church of Carmine

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

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

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Wonderful quick decorations

Prominent façade

A prominent church

A feast only for Scicli

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

The two churches

The wall comes to life

A colourful floor

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The interior and its masterpieces