Ragusa

Prominent façade

zoom La chiesa di San Giuseppe
La chiesa di San Giuseppe

The church of San Giuseppe (St. Joseph) is small and occupies a much smaller space than large cathedrals. This, however, did not prevent it from featuring prominently in the square. This was made possible by the design choices of the Friar Alberto Maria di San Giovanni Battista.
The façade of the new building was built further back than the previous church of San Tommaso (St. Thomas) to make it more visible from the street.
The façade is divided into three levels: in the first there is the entrance portal, on the second a louvre window , and the third acts as a bell tower.
This means that the different levels are different in size; the tallest segment contains the portal, followed by the middle and end segments.
The division, however, is not only horizontal; the free-standing columns and pilasters , resting on high bases divide the façade into three vertical parts.
This creates a play of light and shadow that seems to make the façade move; the architect achieved this effect using various decorative elements in relief and a design that sees the central part protrude further than the side sections.
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Six statues of Benedictine saints were placed on the façade: two bishop saints were placed to the sides of the portal, St. Gertrude and Scholastica on the lateral sections, and St. Benedict and St. Maurus on the second level.
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A city in colour

The Burgos crucifix

A prominent church

The Maiolica of the staircase

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

A miniature city

The wall comes to life

The disastrous earthquake

A colourful floor

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

New roads for Catania

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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The internal colours

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A feast only for Scicli

The two churches

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A small room with a golden entrance

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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Modica, a city with ancient origins

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Norman apses

Prominent façade

A hall for the feasts

A long reconstruction

An eagle-shaped city

From International Gothic to present day

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

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The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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A talking palace

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The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

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The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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Between white and black

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From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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The chocolate of Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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Feast days

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A triumph of colour

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

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Limestone, the colour of harmony

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A half-Baroque church

A majestic and luminous church

The colours of the cathedral

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

One city, three sites

The church of Carmine

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A symbol for the town

Some prestigious works

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The theatre of taste

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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Many owners, one palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Searching for colour