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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Norman apses

A talking palace

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Baroque town by the sea

A new site for a new city

A half-Baroque church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The church of Carmine

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A miniature city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A feast only for Scicli

New roads for Catania

The wall comes to life

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some masterpieces

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The two churches

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Feast days

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A long reconstruction

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The internal colours

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

One city, two sites

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A triumph of colour

The Burgos crucifix

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The colours of the cathedral

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A small room with a golden entrance

The city of museums

Searching for colour

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A hall for the feasts

A square as the heart of the city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A symbol for the town

The chocolate of Modica

The theatre of taste

Wonderful quick decorations

Some prestigious works

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Feasting in Palazzolo

A city in colour

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Many owners, one palace

A colourful floor

A majestic and luminous church

A prominent church

Between white and black

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The interior and its masterpieces

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

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, three sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A museum to save a tradition

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church