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 disastrous earthquake

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

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A miniature city

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Two illustrious patron saints

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The city of museums

The internal colours

The Baroque town by the sea

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A half-Baroque church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A museum to save a tradition

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

New roads for Catania

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From International Gothic to present day

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

Some masterpieces

A triumph of colour

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

One city, two sites

Norman apses

A colourful floor

A square as the heart of the city

Discovering the mother church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The chocolate of Modica

Searching for colour

Feast days

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Between white and black

Some prestigious works

Feasting in Palazzolo

A symbol for the town

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The two churches

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

The church of Carmine

One city, three sites

A talking palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The Staircase of Angels

A city in colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A prominent church

A small room with a golden entrance

Many owners, one palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Burgos crucifix

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A majestic and luminous church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The colours of the cathedral

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The theatre of taste

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new site for a new city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Wonderful quick decorations

Prominent façade

The interior and its masterpieces

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A hall for the feasts