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 the Annunciation

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Searching for colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A square as the heart of the city

Between white and black

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The two churches

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Burgos crucifix

Two illustrious patron saints

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A miniature city

The internal colours

Some prestigious works

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

One city, two sites

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A long reconstruction

The Staircase of Angels

The wall comes to life

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chocolate of Modica

A prominent church

A city in colour

A talking palace

Prominent façade

The Baroque town by the sea

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The church of Carmine

A hall for the feasts

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

A new site for a new city

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

The colours of the cathedral

Discovering the mother church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A symbol for the town

An eagle-shaped city

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A half-Baroque church

A triumph of colour

Norman apses

Many owners, one palace

Wonderful quick decorations

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The disastrous earthquake

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A majestic and luminous church

A feast only for Scicli

Feast days

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The city of museums

A small room with a golden entrance

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The theatre of taste

Some masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

One city, three sites

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

A new site for a new church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

New roads for Catania

From International Gothic to present day