Ragusa

A talking palace

terzo balconeWhat makes Palazzo La Rocca so unique are its large corbels , below the balconies, three supporting each one. They tell their own story and amaze passers-by.
From Via Duomo the first balcony that we find is the balcony of the Cherubini (cherubs).
The second and third balconies are dedicated to music, where sculptures of a tenor mandola player and a flute player remind us that at that time music, bel canto and feasts were an essential part of aristocratic life.
il balcone con i suonatori di mandorla particolare il balcone con i suonatori di mandorla
il balcone con i suonatori di flauto particolare settimo balcone
The fourth balcony portrays a tender moment between mother and son. Then follows the balcony above the entrance door decorated with a central shell and plant decorations in the side corbels.
The sixth is the balcony of the Amorini, where three pairs of cupids are linked in a tender embrace.
The seventh balcony has a sculpted telamon that seems to support the full weight of the balcony all by itself.
Balcone sopra il portale foto settimo balcone ottavo balcone
The final balcony is the balcony of the Cavaliere (knight). It is surrounded by several characters.
On the left is a masked man, perhaps one of his soldiers or bodyguards, and on the right is a figure with a malevolent smile, which represents cunning; above is a large moustached man with a thick head of hair and two porters.
What a sight! Walking down Via Capitano Bocchieri is like going to the theatre.

Some masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Burgos crucifix

The colours of the cathedral

One city, three sites

A new site for a new church

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

The wall comes to life

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Feasting in Palazzolo

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The two churches

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A symbol for the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A small room with a golden entrance

Prominent façade

Some prestigious works

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A colourful floor

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new city

Discovering the mother church

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The disastrous earthquake

An eagle-shaped city

One city, two sites

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Staircase of Angels

A talking palace

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A half-Baroque church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The internal colours

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

A miniature city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A feast only for Scicli

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The city of museums

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

New roads for Catania

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Many owners, one palace

From International Gothic to present day

A triumph of colour

A long reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Feast days

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A majestic and luminous church

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The theatre of taste

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Searching for colour

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Baroque town by the sea

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Norman apses

A hall for the feasts

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

The church of Carmine

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A city in colour

A square as the heart of the city