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 story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

Discovering the mother church

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The theatre of taste

Feast days

New roads for Catania

Limestone, the colour of harmony

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The wall comes to life

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Many owners, one palace

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Staircase of Angels

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Two illustrious patron saints

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Between white and black

A prominent church

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

The disastrous earthquake

A city in colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A square as the heart of the city

A new site for a new city

The Burgos crucifix

From International Gothic to present day

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A miniature city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The colours of the cathedral

A colourful floor

The two churches

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Some prestigious works

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A small room with a golden entrance

A feast only for Scicli

Wonderful quick decorations

Feasting in Palazzolo

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The internal colours

A symbol for the town

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

The church of Carmine

A half-Baroque church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Some masterpieces

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

A triumph of colour

A hall for the feasts

A majestic and luminous church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The chocolate of Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

One city, two sites

A long reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Prominent façade

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Searching for colour

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The city of museums

One city, three sites