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.

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Between white and black

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

An eagle-shaped city

Some masterpieces

A long reconstruction

Two illustrious patron saints

A triumph of colour

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

The Staircase of Angels

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Discovering the mother church

A feast only for Scicli

Some prestigious works

The disastrous earthquake

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

Searching for colour

The internal colours

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

New roads for Catania

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Maiolica of the staircase

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The church of Carmine

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Baroque town by the sea

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The interior and its masterpieces

A prominent church

From International Gothic to present day

A small room with a golden entrance

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The two churches

Many owners, one palace

A majestic and luminous church

Feast days

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The colours of the cathedral

A museum to save a tradition

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

A colourful floor

A miniature city

A half-Baroque church

A talking palace

Prominent façade

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

One city, two sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

One city, three sites

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The wall comes to life

A new site for a new church

The chocolate of Modica

A symbol for the town

Norman apses

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A hall for the feasts

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A square as the heart of the city

A new site for a new city