San Giuseppe Church, Ragusa, Italy

San Giuseppe church was erected in 1756-1796 under the patronage of the Benedictine order. The church and an adjacent convent of nuns occupied a site where prior to the 1693 earthquake had been located the church of San Tommaso. The architect is unknown, but in the circle of Rosario Gagliardi. Like many local churches, the façade has three highly sculpted order, decorated with statues of Saints of the Benedictine orders, including Saints Benedict and Mauro above and St Gertrude and Scolastica below. Near the entrance are statues of St Gregory the Great and St Augustine by Giambattista Muccio in 1775. The entrance portals have iron grillwork screens (1774) by Filippo Scattarelli.

The interior has an oval layout, but kept a large choir and coretti situated over the entrance and flanking the nave, where the nuns could hear the mass while remaining cloistered. Over the vault is a fresco depicting the Glory of St Benedict with St Joseph (1793) by Sebastiano Monaco. The walls are elaborately stuccoed (1793) by Agrippino Maggiore and the Cultrera di Licodia Eubea. The altars (19th century) have elaborate scagliola, and have altarpieces by Tommaso Pollace and Giuseppe Crestadoro, depicting the Trinity, St Mauro, St Benedict, and Ste Gertrude. The pavement has white stone and maiolica tiles. The Vestibule has statues depicting St Benedict (17th century) and a silver-coated St Joseph (1785).

References:

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Religious sites in Italy

User Reviews

Roberto Sciarrone (6 months ago)
Beautiful church rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693. With a bit of luck, in the afternoon, you can hear the nuns singing religious songs.

Alessio Guiggi (3 years ago)
Rebuilt - like practically everything in Val di Noto - after the catastrophic earthquake of 1693, it was built in Sicilian Baroque with the classic tower facade, elegantly convex in the center, set by two series of columns to spectacularly guide the gaze towards the sky. Crowning the top is a sumptuous bell tower with three small cells. Each opening is decorated with a refined wrought iron railing. Too bad I found it closed and could not admire the interior.

Francesco Gagliardi (5 years ago)
Sweet Benedictine nuns. I advise you to stop for the liturgy of the hours

Giovanni Luis Crocioni (7 years ago)
beautiful baroque church in the hill city of Ragusa Ibla. Front facade is uniquely curved and the spherical theme is carried onto the interior. Very ornate and decorated inside. paintings on the ceiling and on all the walls. would recommend to anyone visiting Ragusa ibla

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