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

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Baroque town by the sea

A square as the heart of the city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A long reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A half-Baroque church

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

Discovering the mother church

The colours of the cathedral

A city in colour

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Some prestigious works

The disastrous earthquake

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Prominent façade

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, two sites

The church of Carmine

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A triumph of colour

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

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

A majestic and luminous church

A feast only for Scicli

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Between white and black

A hall for the feasts

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Searching for colour

A prominent church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new city

An eagle-shaped city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Many owners, one palace

The theatre of taste

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A museum to save a tradition

Feasting in Palazzolo

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

One city, three sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A new site for a new church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Maiolica of the staircase

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

The chocolate of Modica

The internal colours

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some masterpieces

The wall comes to life

The city of museums

The Staircase of Angels

Feast days

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

New roads for Catania

Norman apses

The Burgos crucifix

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Wonderful quick decorations

A miniature city