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.

A hall for the feasts

Feast days

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

Feasting in Palazzolo

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

A feast only for Scicli

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A city in colour

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A half-Baroque church

Many owners, one palace

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

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

A prominent church

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

The internal colours

The colours of the cathedral

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

One city, two sites

The church of Carmine

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

One city, three sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A talking palace

A square as the heart of the city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Staircase of Angels

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

A new site for a new city

Prominent façade

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A colourful floor

A small room with a golden entrance

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The two churches

Discovering the mother church

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

A long reconstruction

Norman apses

The Baroque town by the sea

Some masterpieces

A majestic and luminous church

Searching for colour

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The disastrous earthquake

The Burgos crucifix

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Some prestigious works

A triumph of colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The interior and its masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The city of museums

A miniature city

A museum to save a tradition

Wonderful quick decorations

Between white and black

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

The theatre of taste

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

A symbol for the town

New roads for Catania

The wall comes to life

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto