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 two churches

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Some masterpieces

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The city of museums

The disastrous earthquake

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

The theatre of taste

The Maiolica of the staircase

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new church

A small room with a golden entrance

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Norman apses

The chocolate of Modica

Many owners, one palace

A Nobel Prize in Modica

From International Gothic to present day

Discovering the mother church

The colours of the cathedral

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Between white and black

A new site for a new city

New roads for Catania

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The church of Carmine

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A talking palace

The Staircase of Angels

St. Sebastian, so much work!

One city, two sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Feasting in Palazzolo

Searching for colour

An eagle-shaped city

A half-Baroque church

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A square as the heart of the city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

One city, three sites

Wonderful quick decorations

The Baroque town by the sea

A prominent church

The wall comes to life

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Some prestigious works

The Burgos crucifix

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Prominent façade

A miniature city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Feast days

The internal colours

The interior and its masterpieces

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A symbol for the town

A city in colour

A hall for the feasts

A feast only for Scicli

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A majestic and luminous church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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