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 prestigious works

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The city of museums

A half-Baroque church

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

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

A symbol for the town

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Two illustrious patron saints

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Norman apses

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A long reconstruction

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

A prominent church

Some masterpieces

The internal colours

The chocolate of Modica

A small room with a golden entrance

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The two churches

The Staircase of Angels

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

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One city, two sites

Discovering the mother church

Many owners, one palace

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Prominent façade

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The colours of the cathedral

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A majestic and luminous church

An eagle-shaped city

Wonderful quick decorations

A feast only for Scicli

Feast days

A talking palace

A colourful floor

The Maiolica of the staircase

The disastrous earthquake

A hall for the feasts

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The church of Carmine

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Between white and black

A triumph of colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Searching for colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Feasting in Palazzolo

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A miniature city

A new site for a new city

The Baroque town by the sea

The interior and its masterpieces

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

From International Gothic to present day

A city in colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

The wall comes to life

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

A museum to save a tradition

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town