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 theatre of taste

A prominent church

A colourful floor

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A majestic and luminous church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Two illustrious patron saints

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A hall for the feasts

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Searching for colour

A miniature city

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A city in colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A square as the heart of the city

Discovering the mother church

Wonderful quick decorations

A small room with a golden entrance

The interior and its masterpieces

The internal colours

The wall comes to life

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Staircase of Angels

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A museum to save a tradition

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The two churches

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Some masterpieces

A long reconstruction

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Some prestigious works

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

New roads for Catania

One city, two sites

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

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

A triumph of colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

Prominent façade

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Burgos crucifix

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feast days

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Many owners, one palace

From International Gothic to present day

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A half-Baroque church

The church of Carmine

The colours of the cathedral

A new site for a new church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The chocolate of Modica

An eagle-shaped city

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

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The city of museums

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town