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 about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A feast only for Scicli

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

A half-Baroque church

A new site for a new church

The disastrous earthquake

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A miniature city

A new site for a new city

The Baroque town by the sea

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The internal colours

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A talking palace

One city, three sites

Discovering the mother church

A museum to save a tradition

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The wall comes to life

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Staircase of Angels

The Burgos crucifix

An eagle-shaped city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A long reconstruction

The two churches

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The chocolate of Modica

A hall for the feasts

A square as the heart of the city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

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

A colourful floor

Wonderful quick decorations

Many owners, one palace

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A city in colour

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A majestic and luminous church

Between white and black

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

New roads for Catania

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A prominent church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The theatre of taste

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, two sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Two illustrious patron saints

The colours of the cathedral

Some prestigious works

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The church of Carmine

The city of museums

Prominent façade

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Maiolica of the staircase

A small room with a golden entrance

Norman apses

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A symbol for the town

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Some masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Feast days