Ragusa

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

sight
A valley for Palazzo La Rocca

The green valley overlooked by Palazzo La Rocca is a riot of colours that vary with the changing seasons.
From the strong bright colours of spring, it moves on to shades of yellow and ochre in summer due to the lack of rain. As it reaches the end of summer, the colours are reborn with autumn fruits, such as pomegranate and quince.
Finally, winter arrives, which by nature makes everything darker, grey and less luxuriant.

hearing
The noises of a bygone era

The corbels of Palazzo La Rocca are a memory from a bygone era, especially the balcony with the flute and tenor mandola players, which brings to mind the sweet melodies played at the great parties held at the Palazzo, one of the most important events for the aristocracy. Delicate sounds accompanied the balls and dances in the great hall!

smell
The smell of the stone

The entrance to Palazzo La Rocca is extremely evocative.
With a little imagination you can picture Don Saverio La Rocca climbing the pietra pece staircase at the entrance.
What makes the atrium unique, however, is the strong smell of petroleum that envelops the entire space. It’s hard to believe, but the stone’s composition gives the room a sharp scent that verges on unpleasant, though it is fascinating to think that nature was able to create such a strong-smelling stone.

Church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) on Via dei Crociferi: reconstruction

A museum to save a tradition

The Baroque town by the sea

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The interior and its masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The church of Carmine

Prominent façade

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Freedom of worship and the role of the Catholic Church in the diffusion of Baroque

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

One city, two sites

Many owners, one palace

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the church of Santa Maria del Carmelo

The senses tell the story of the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte

The city of museums

Between white and black

The senses tell the Mother Church of San Nicolò and of the Santissimo Salvatore

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The disastrous earthquake

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new site for a new city

The Burgos crucifix

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giovanni Battista

The colours of the cathedral

A symbol for the town

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

The role of the religious orders in rebuilding the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giuliano ai Crociferi

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some masterpieces

A miniature city

Searching for colour

The chocolate of Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

An eagle-shaped city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

Feast days

Norman apses

The wall comes to life

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A feast only for Scicli

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

New roads for Catania

A majestic and luminous church

The two churches

From International Gothic to present day

A small room with a golden entrance

One city, three sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

A hall for the feasts

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The theatre of taste

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A half-Baroque church

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

From the contrast of the exterior to the internal jubilation of colours

A talking palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Badia di Sant’Agata

A city in colour

Wonderful quick decorations

Two illustrious patron saints

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The façade used as a puppet theatre