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 Santa Chiara

The interior and its masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

Two illustrious patron saints

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

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

A symbol for the town

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The disastrous earthquake

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Maiolica of the staircase

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Many owners, one palace

A square as the heart of the city

The two churches

The city of museums

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new church

Searching for colour

One city, three sites

A small room with a golden entrance

A talking palace

A half-Baroque church

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

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Between white and black

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feasting in Palazzolo

A miniature city

The Burgos crucifix

Feast days

The Staircase of Angels

New roads for Catania

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Norman apses

Some masterpieces

One city, two sites

A museum to save a tradition

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A feast only for Scicli

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Baroque town by the sea

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

Prominent façade

The colours of the cathedral

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The internal colours

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

From International Gothic to present day

The church of Carmine

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

A city in colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A long reconstruction

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A triumph of colour

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A colourful floor

The chocolate of Modica

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Modica, a city with ancient origins

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Some prestigious works

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

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

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

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)