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.

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Feast days

Some prestigious works

A square as the heart of the city

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The theatre of taste

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A triumph of colour

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A feast only for Scicli

The disastrous earthquake

The Maiolica of the staircase

Discovering the mother church

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A half-Baroque church

The chocolate of Modica

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The colours of the cathedral

Between white and black

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new site for a new church

Searching for colour

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The two churches

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A city in colour

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

Some masterpieces

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

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, three sites

The internal colours

A long reconstruction

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The city of museums

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

New roads for Catania

The Burgos crucifix

Feasting in Palazzolo

Norman apses

Many owners, one palace

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A symbol for the town

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

An eagle-shaped city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A museum to save a tradition

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

A miniature city

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

A new site for a new city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Wonderful quick decorations

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

One city, two sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Staircase of Angels

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Prominent façade

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