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 senses tell the story of the church of San Giovanni Battista

The interior and its masterpieces

A prominent church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Staircase of Angels

Feasting in Palazzolo

A symbol for the town

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The church of Carmine

A triumph of colour

A miniature city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new church

Some prestigious works

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The city of museums

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Many owners, one palace

The Baroque town by the sea

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

A new site for a new city

A city in colour

A colourful floor

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A talking palace

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A feast only for Scicli

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

One city, three sites

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Burgos crucifix

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The wall comes to life

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

One city, two sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Searching for colour

A half-Baroque church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The theatre of taste

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Maiolica of the staircase

An eagle-shaped city

Two illustrious patron saints

Feast days

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Norman apses

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A hall for the feasts

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A long reconstruction

Between white and black

A museum to save a tradition

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A majestic and luminous church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

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

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A small room with a golden entrance

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

The colours of the cathedral

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

The two churches

The internal colours

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo