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 Staircase of Angels

Limestone, the colour of harmony

An eagle-shaped city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The theatre of taste

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A triumph of colour

A majestic and luminous church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A half-Baroque church

A museum to save a tradition

A feast only for Scicli

The church of Carmine

One city, three sites

A talking palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The colours of the cathedral

The wall comes to life

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Searching for colour

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A long reconstruction

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

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The chocolate of Modica

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Discovering the mother church

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

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

The Burgos crucifix

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Some prestigious works

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

A square as the heart of the city

A hall for the feasts

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

A city in colour

A new site for a new city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The city of museums

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

A symbol for the town

Two illustrious patron saints

The interior and its masterpieces

New roads for Catania

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A colourful floor

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A prominent church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

One city, two sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Between white and black

Prominent façade

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The internal colours

Wonderful quick decorations