San Giovanni Cathedral

A superb example of late Ragusa Baroque, a UNESCO World Heritage monument, the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista in Ragusa looms over the central Piazza San Giovanni, in the historic heart of the city.

Built after the devastating earthquake of 1693, it was consecrated in 1778 and designated a cathedral in 1950. Its majestic late-Baroque facade will leave you breathless. It is divided into five sections by six Corinthian columns. Notable is the main portal, at the top of which a niche holds the statue of the Immaculate Conception, flanked by statues of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. Looking up, you will see two sundials dating back to 1751: one measuring time in “Italian hours” (from sunset to sunset) and the other in “French hours” (from midnight to midnight), followed by the tympanum housing an electric clock topped with a bell. The bell tower with its four impressive bells—we highly recommend visiting it—, the spacious churchyard bounded by a pitch stone balustrade, and two gardens flanking the cathedral complete the exterior setting.

Your attention will be captured by the two-tone pitch stone floor with limestone inlays and the fourteen Corinthian columns, also made of pitch stone but whitewashed, interrupted only by the gold of the capitals. Three naves, a magnificent depth: the cathedral possesses a clear architectural grandeur.
Among the precious artworks you can admire inside is the 18th-century canvas depicting Saint Philip Neri by Sebastiano Conca. The first niche on the right houses the elegant Baptistery, with painted decorations by Salvatore Cascone and the 1958 bronze sculptural group by Carmelo Cappello. Then there is the 1858 Serassi organ and the wooden statue of Saint John the Baptist carved by Carmelo Licitra in 1861.