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 two churches

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Burgos crucifix

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A long reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

A talking palace

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The disastrous earthquake

A museum to save a tradition

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

Two illustrious patron saints

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

A city in colour

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Maiolica of the staircase

Feast days

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

A hall for the feasts

Some prestigious works

The city of museums

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A symbol for the town

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

Discovering the mother church

An eagle-shaped city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Wonderful quick decorations

Searching for colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

Norman apses

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A colourful floor

One city, two sites

A majestic and luminous church

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

A miniature city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

The Staircase of Angels

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Baroque town by the sea

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A half-Baroque church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, three sites

A square as the heart of the city

The internal colours

The wall comes to life

The church of Carmine

Prominent façade

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras