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 church of Carmine

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The theatre of taste

A triumph of colour

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

The two churches

A long reconstruction

The Baroque town by the sea

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

One city, three sites

An eagle-shaped city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A city in colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A miniature city

New roads for Catania

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Two illustrious patron saints

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Discovering the mother church

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Many owners, one palace

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

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new site for a new city

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The wall comes to life

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, two sites

The Staircase of Angels

A small room with a golden entrance

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The colours of the cathedral

A symbol for the town

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The disastrous earthquake

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

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A half-Baroque church

Feast days

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A colourful floor

A talking palace

The Burgos crucifix

A feast only for Scicli

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feasting in Palazzolo

A majestic and luminous church

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new site for a new church

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

Between white and black

Norman apses

Wonderful quick decorations

The city of museums

Prominent façade

A hall for the feasts

A prominent church

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata