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 Barresi-Branciforte lords

Wonderful quick decorations

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Some prestigious works

The chocolate of Modica

Two illustrious patron saints

Feasting in Palazzolo

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

A symbol for the town

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Searching for colour

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

One city, three sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The internal colours

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

The Staircase of Angels

A new site for a new city

A small room with a golden entrance

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

Between white and black

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

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

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

The theatre of taste

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Norman apses

The city of museums

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

A hall for the feasts

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A city in colour

New roads for Catania

A prominent church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A museum to save a tradition

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The wall comes to life

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A feast only for Scicli

A majestic and luminous church

A triumph of colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The church of Carmine

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Limestone, the colour of harmony

One city, two sites

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The two churches

Many owners, one palace

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

The colours of the cathedral

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A miniature city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

From International Gothic to present day

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Prominent façade

A talking palace

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Some masterpieces

The interior and its masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new church

The Burgos crucifix