Ragusa Cathedral

The Cathedral of Modica is often considered one of the most emblematic monuments of Sicilian Baroque, of which it represents the most scenic and monumental architecture. The building as it stands today is the result of its reconstruction between the 17th and 18th centuries, following the disastrous earthquakes that struck Modica in 1542, 1613 and 1693; minor damage was also caused by earthquakes in the iblea area during the 18th century and in 1848. The cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Cathedral of Noto was built in the Sicilian Baroque style between the early 18th century and 1776. The cathedral collapsed in 1996 due to the fragility of its construction during the earthquake of 1990. It has since been rebuilt and reopened in 2007.

The original church of San Giuliano, according to tradition, was built in the Norman period with an adjoining bell tower, with a single nave decorated with Arab-Norman stucco and with the apse facing east. The temple is dated to 1282, in the middle of the Aragonese period, thanks to the inscription on the architrave at the entrance, which mentions the name of the architect Magister Gofredus. This is probably the date of one of the first documented reconstructions: other reconstructions took place after the earthquake of Anno Domini 1542 in the Val di Noto, and after the Val di Noto earthquake of 1693. In the second half of the 18th century, the outer walls were decorated with two artistic stone portals, designed by the architect Natale Bonaiuto of Syracuse. In 1816, Pope Pius VII issued the papal bull Romanus Pontifex, erecting the diocese of Caltagirone and raising the church of San Giuliano to the rank of cathedral.