18. Church of St. Maria delle Scale

Part of the church, which survived the 1693 earthquake, contains a compendium of Ragusa’s pre-earthquake history. Architectural elements of different styles are present, ranging from Swabian windows to typical elements of Catalan architecture (Fig. a). 
On the exterior, one can see a bell tower that survived the earthquake and a carved stone pulpit (Fig. b).
There is evidence that the church existed during the Cistercian era, but no documents have been found to back this up.
While most of the building was destroyed in the earthquake, some parts, such as the four chapels of the left aisle, survived.
During a recent restoration, in the first chapel, near the altar of the crucifix, a fresco from the 1400s depicting a crucifixion emerged under a layer of paint (Fig. . c). The second chapel, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, can be entered through a Gothic portal richly decorated with limestone carvings and the corbels of the vaults depicting faces (Fig. d). An exceptional terracotta altarpiece from 1538, originally glazed, is located inside the chapel, rebuilt in Renaissance style. Sadly, the Dormitio Virginis (Fig. e) has lost its original glazing and coloration due to clumsy restorations. It is possible that the work was created by a ceramist who had contact with the Della Robbia family as a result of the representational features.
All the Gothic arches are adorned with sculptures depicting celestial creatures, monstrous or fantastic animals, typical of the medieval bestiary (Fig. f) , whose allegory is difficult to interpret, such as, for example, the otter that swallows itself, representing lust for Dante Alighieri, for others envy that gnaws within.