Ragusa

Two illustrious patron saints

foto statua san giorgioThe fact that Ragusa was divided meant that each city had its own patron saint . But when they were reunited, abolishing one of the saints was unthinkable. So in Ragusa Ibla, St. George is celebrated on the 23rd of April, and St. John on the 29th of August.
Two feasts with no one left out! All citizens actively take part in the events.
St. George is one of the world’s most famous and revered saints. He is the patron saint of England and Portugal, and even a crater on the moon has been named after him. Unfortunately, the stories about St. George’s life and martyrdom are abundant and conflicting.
The most famous story tells of the slaying of a dragon to save a young girl.
foto statua san giovanni battistaIn Sicily, St. George has been worshipped since the 5th century, only becoming so renowned and important in the 11th century.
In 1063 the Norman army led by Robert Guiscard defeated the Arabs, and were led to victory with the help of St. George.
The 29th of August is dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The saint lived in the desert, eating insects until he could undertake God’s mission. His task was to spread the word of God and erase sin through Baptism.
The saint was imprisoned in the dungeons then beheaded by order of Herod the Great.
The saint’s worship spread throughout the world very quickly.
A life of renunciation and penance made him an immediate role model.

A museum to save a tradition

The interior and its masterpieces

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

The Staircase of Angels

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A miniature city

A majestic and luminous church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The disastrous earthquake

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Feasting in Palazzolo

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

From International Gothic to present day

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

An eagle-shaped city

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

Between white and black

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The city of museums

The theatre of taste

A talking palace

Searching for colour

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A colourful floor

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Prominent façade

A long reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A small room with a golden entrance

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

One city, two sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A triumph of colour

A hall for the feasts

New roads for Catania

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The wall comes to life

A new site for a new city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some prestigious works

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Discovering the mother church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A half-Baroque church

The Burgos crucifix

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The chocolate of Modica

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The colours of the cathedral

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A symbol for the town

A city in colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

One city, three sites

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The internal colours

Wonderful quick decorations

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Some masterpieces

Feast days

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A square as the heart of the city

The Baroque town by the sea

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Norman apses

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

The two churches

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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