Late baroque in Ispica

Inside the late-Baroque style of Ispica

Church Of Santa Maria Maggiore (18th century) by Rosario GagliardiUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is the main testimonies of the late Baroque and Rococo artistic culture of south-eastern Sicily.

Church Of Santa Maria Maggiore - Interior (18th - 19th century) by Rosario GagliardiUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

The interior of the church

The interior is unique throughout the Ragusa area for the organic fusion between the architectural elements, the stuccoes, the gilding, and the frescoes.

Church Of Santa Maria Maggiore - Triumph of the Eucharistic Table (1761-1765) by Olivio SozziUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

Olivio Sozzi’s frescoes

The church inside is a triumph of colours thanks to the frescoes made by the Sicilian painter, Olivio Sozzi.

Church Of Santa Maria Maggiore - Triumph of the Eucharistic Table (1761-1765) by Olivio SozziUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

The artist illustrates the whole tale of Christian history, showing the main aspects and characters of the Old and New Testaments. 

Church Of Santa Maria Maggiore - Triumph of Mary the Assumption (1761-1765) by Olivio SozziUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

The colours that Sozzi uses range from light blue to white and pink, expressing a serene theological vision in which the "sweetness of contemplation" replaces the "dramatic tension" of the works connected to the style of the early Baroque. 

Church Of Santa Maria Maggiore - Christ At The Column (18th century) by unknownUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

Christ at the Column

The Christ at the Column is one of the most revered simulacra in Ispica. Over the centuries many restorations have been made and it’s difficult to establish the creation date. It seems that the torso and head belong to the late Middle Ages. 

Church Of Santissima Annunziata - Façade (XIX sec.) by Carlo Di GregorioUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

Basilica SS. Annunziata

The church of SS. Annunziata is located in the center of the homonymous district, surrounded by noble houses referable to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. 

Church Of Santissima Annunziata (1703-1720)Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

In 1869 the façade suffered a collapse and was rebuilt by the master builder Carlo Di Gregorio. In the same years the domes of the aisles were rebuilt. The current bell tower was completed in 1954. 

Church Of Santissima Annunziata - Central Nave (1703-1720) by unkownUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

Church's interior

The interior is unique throughout the Ragusa area for the organic fusion between the architectural elements, the stuccoes, the gilding, and the frescoes. 

Church Of Santissima Annunziata - Stuccoes, Giuseppe Gianforma, 1740-1770, From the collection of: Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
,
Church Of Santissima Annunziata - Decorations, Giuseppe Gianforma, XIX sec., From the collection of: Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
Show lessRead more

The church guests one of the most complete and splendid stucco cycles of Ragusa, attributed to Giuseppe Gianforma from Palermo, the most important plasterer in Sicily in the eighteenth century.

Church Of Santissima Annunziata - Christ At The Cross (1700-1750)Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

Christ on the Cross

The Christ at the Cross is the simulacra most venerated in the church of SS. Annunziata and is a papier-mâché work of craftsmanship referable to the first half of the eighteenth century. 

Church Of Santissima Annunziata - Christ At The Cross (1700-1750)Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa

It represents Christ ascending to Calvary, with the cross on his shoulders, between two executioners who struck him violently. The simulacrum is linked to the rites of Good Friday. 

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

Interested in Design?

Get updates with your personalized Culture Weekly

You are all set!

Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites