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.

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Discovering the mother church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Feasting in Palazzolo

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Maiolica of the staircase

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

One city, two sites

A majestic and luminous church

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

New roads for Catania

Some prestigious works

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

A miniature city

A symbol for the town

From International Gothic to present day

The wall comes to life

The internal colours

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

An eagle-shaped city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Norman apses

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A colourful floor

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new site for a new church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Many owners, one palace

The colours of the cathedral

The theatre of taste

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Searching for colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A small room with a golden entrance

The chocolate of Modica

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Prominent façade

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

A prominent church

Feast days

A talking palace

The two churches

The Staircase of Angels

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

Wonderful quick decorations

A hall for the feasts

A long reconstruction

A new site for a new city

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

One city, three sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Between white and black

The city of museums

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

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A triumph of colour

The Burgos crucifix

The Baroque town by the sea

The church of Carmine

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Some masterpieces