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 triumph of colour

Many owners, one palace

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The interior and its masterpieces

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The church of Carmine

The colours of the cathedral

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A hall for the feasts

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A miniature city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A prominent church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

Between white and black

A museum to save a tradition

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A new site for a new church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The disastrous earthquake

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

A majestic and luminous church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Discovering the mother church

A square as the heart of the city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

From International Gothic to present day

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Some masterpieces

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A colourful floor

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

The theatre of taste

The two churches

A new site for a new city

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

A half-Baroque church

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Baroque town by the sea

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

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Two illustrious patron saints

A talking palace

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Burgos crucifix

Norman apses

New roads for Catania

Feasting in Palazzolo

The city of museums

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some prestigious works

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A symbol for the town

Prominent façade

A city in colour

Feast days

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

An eagle-shaped city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A small room with a golden entrance

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

One city, three sites

The chocolate of Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The internal colours

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A long reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

Searching for colour

The wall comes to life

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe