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.

A majestic and luminous church

Feast days

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The disastrous earthquake

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A feast only for Scicli

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A half-Baroque church

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The two churches

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

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

Prominent façade

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

The city of museums

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A museum to save a tradition

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Burgos crucifix

A triumph of colour

New roads for Catania

A symbol for the town

Some prestigious works

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Two illustrious patron saints

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, two sites

The chocolate of Modica

From International Gothic to present day

Searching for colour

A new site for a new city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Between white and black

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The colours of the cathedral

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A colourful floor

Feasting in Palazzolo

The church of Carmine

A miniature city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

A long reconstruction

One city, three sites

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

The wall comes to life

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A city in colour

Some masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Staircase of Angels

The theatre of taste

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Many owners, one palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Maiolica of the staircase

Wonderful quick decorations

The Baroque town by the sea

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The internal colours

Norman apses

A hall for the feasts

A prominent church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Discovering the mother church

The interior and its masterpieces