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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The church of Carmine

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

One city, two sites

A miniature city

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The two churches

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A prominent church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The internal colours

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A feast only for Scicli

Feasting in Palazzolo

Norman apses

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The chocolate of Modica

Some masterpieces

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feast days

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

The city of museums

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The colours of the cathedral

Discovering the mother church

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A city in colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Staircase of Angels

An eagle-shaped city

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

A half-Baroque church

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

Two illustrious patron saints

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The wall comes to life

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Burgos crucifix

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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 small room with a golden entrance

The Baroque town by the sea

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Some prestigious works

From International Gothic to present day

A majestic and luminous church

A hall for the feasts

New roads for Catania

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

A talking palace

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

A symbol for the town

A museum to save a tradition

The theatre of taste

Searching for colour

The disastrous earthquake

A new site for a new city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Between white and black

The interior and its masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Prominent façade

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family