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 Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A city in colour

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

A symbol for the town

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The theatre of taste

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Between white and black

A half-Baroque church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The Baroque town by the sea

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A talking palace

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The interior and its masterpieces

A square as the heart of the city

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

The Staircase of Angels

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A long reconstruction

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

One city, two sites

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

A feast only for Scicli

The colours of the cathedral

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Wonderful quick decorations

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A hall for the feasts

Two illustrious patron saints

From International Gothic to present day

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The city of museums

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A museum to save a tradition

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The internal colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A miniature city

The two churches

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A majestic and luminous church

A new site for a new city

The church of Carmine

The Burgos crucifix

A colourful floor

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

New roads for Catania

The chocolate of Modica

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Feast days

The wall comes to life

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

Some prestigious works

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some masterpieces

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Norman apses

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A triumph of colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph