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 the Annunciation

A symbol for the town

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The theatre of taste

The church of Carmine

A majestic and luminous church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The two churches

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The Staircase of Angels

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

New roads for Catania

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Between white and black

A colourful floor

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

A triumph of colour

A prominent church

A miniature city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The interior and its masterpieces

Prominent façade

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A museum to save a tradition

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some prestigious works

A long reconstruction

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Feast days

Wonderful quick decorations

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Searching for colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The city of museums

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The disastrous earthquake

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new city

The Baroque town by the sea

A feast only for Scicli

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A square as the heart of the city

A small room with a golden entrance

One city, three sites

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

A new site for a new church

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

The internal colours

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

The Burgos crucifix

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Two illustrious patron saints

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The wall comes to life

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Modica, a city with ancient origins

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A talking palace

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Some masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

Norman apses

A half-Baroque church

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

From International Gothic to present day

Many owners, one palace

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Maiolica of the staircase

One city, two sites