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 cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A new site for a new city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The colours of the cathedral

A half-Baroque church

A colourful floor

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

A museum to save a tradition

The Burgos crucifix

A small room with a golden entrance

New roads for Catania

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black

Searching for colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Discovering the mother church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A hall for the feasts

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A feast only for Scicli

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

The two churches

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Norman apses

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations

Some prestigious works

The wall comes to life

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

One city, two sites

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The chocolate of Modica

A prominent church

A long reconstruction

A triumph of colour

The theatre of taste

The interior and its masterpieces

Feast days

A symbol for the town

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Many owners, one palace

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, three sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A talking palace

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

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

A majestic and luminous church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Staircase of Angels

The city of museums

The church of Carmine

Feasting in Palazzolo

A square as the heart of the city

A miniature city

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

The disastrous earthquake

Two illustrious patron saints

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

A city in colour