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 cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A long reconstruction

The two churches

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

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

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A city in colour

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A square as the heart of the city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The colours of the cathedral

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feast days

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A colourful floor

A triumph of colour

The Burgos crucifix

A feast only for Scicli

Prominent façade

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

The city of museums

A museum to save a tradition

An eagle-shaped city

From International Gothic to present day

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

A majestic and luminous church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Between white and black

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

The wall comes to life

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A half-Baroque church

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A symbol for the town

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

One city, three sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Modica, a city with ancient origins

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A talking palace

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

New roads for Catania

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

Norman apses

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Maiolica of the staircase

Connections with other UNESCO sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Many owners, one palace

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The chocolate of Modica

One city, two sites

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Baroque town by the sea

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new city

The church of Carmine

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Some prestigious works

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

The theatre of taste

The disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Wonderful quick decorations

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Discovering the mother church

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre