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.

One city, three sites

Wonderful quick decorations

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

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

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

A hall for the feasts

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feast days

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A half-Baroque church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Between white and black

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The wall comes to life

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

Some prestigious works

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The Burgos crucifix

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The city of museums

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The internal colours

An eagle-shaped city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From International Gothic to present day

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A square as the heart of the city

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

A majestic and luminous church

The disastrous earthquake

The theatre of taste

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some masterpieces

A prominent church

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A triumph of colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A long reconstruction

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The chocolate of Modica

A symbol for the town

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Norman apses

The Baroque town by the sea

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The interior and its masterpieces

A miniature city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The Staircase of Angels

A city in colour

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, two sites

A feast only for Scicli

The two churches

New roads for Catania

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A new site for a new city

Many owners, one palace

A colourful floor

The church of Carmine