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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Burgos crucifix

Wonderful quick decorations

A square as the heart of the city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A hall for the feasts

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A majestic and luminous church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A long reconstruction

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The chocolate of Modica

The internal colours

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The wall comes to life

A prominent church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The theatre of taste

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Searching for colour

The two churches

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, two sites

A half-Baroque church

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

An eagle-shaped city

The Staircase of Angels

From International Gothic to present day

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A colourful floor

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

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

The city of museums

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A triumph of colour

Many owners, one palace

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The disastrous earthquake

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Baroque town by the sea

Discovering the mother church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A museum to save a tradition

The colours of the cathedral

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

One city, three sites

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The church of Carmine

A city in colour

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

Norman apses

New roads for Catania

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black

A symbol for the town

A miniature city

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A new site for a new church

Some masterpieces

Prominent façade

Feasting in Palazzolo

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A talking palace

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feast days