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.

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A museum to save a tradition

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A feast only for Scicli

A colourful floor

A half-Baroque church

An eagle-shaped city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The two churches

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Some masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The theatre of taste

The disastrous earthquake

The Baroque town by the sea

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A miniature city

The church of Carmine

Discovering the mother church

The wall comes to life

Two illustrious patron saints

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The city of museums

New roads for Catania

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

Searching for colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

Feasting in Palazzolo

One city, three sites

A city in colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Norman apses

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

From International Gothic to present day

The chocolate of Modica

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The interior and its masterpieces

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

A new site for a new city

The internal colours

A majestic and luminous church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The colours of the cathedral

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

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Between white and black

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

The Staircase of Angels

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A square as the heart of the city

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

A new site for a new church

A long reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A hall for the feasts

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

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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