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 hall for the feasts

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

New roads for Catania

One city, two sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A feast only for Scicli

A triumph of colour

Prominent façade

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Norman apses

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The city of museums

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Searching for colour

A long reconstruction

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

One city, three sites

The church of Carmine

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

From International Gothic to present day

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The two churches

A museum to save a tradition

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

A new site for a new city

The Staircase of Angels

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The chocolate of Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A square as the heart of the city

Wonderful quick decorations

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A small room with a golden entrance

Between white and black

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

A half-Baroque church

Two illustrious patron saints

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A symbol for the town

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The disastrous earthquake

The Burgos crucifix

Many owners, one palace

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The colours of the cathedral

The wall comes to life

The Baroque town by the sea

A miniature city

Feast days

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new church

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

Discovering the mother church

The internal colours

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

The Maiolica of the staircase

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A talking palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation