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.

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Wonderful quick decorations

The Baroque town by the sea

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A majestic and luminous church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

One city, two sites

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

The interior and its masterpieces

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Some masterpieces

Two illustrious patron saints

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A symbol for the town

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Many owners, one palace

The colours of the cathedral

From International Gothic to present day

The internal colours

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

Prominent façade

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Staircase of Angels

The Burgos crucifix

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Feast days

The theatre of taste

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A triumph of colour

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

The wall comes to life

Feasting in Palazzolo

Between white and black

A half-Baroque church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The chocolate of Modica

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A prominent church

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The city of museums

A city in colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A new site for a new church

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

Searching for colour

The church of Carmine

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A feast only for Scicli

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A colourful floor

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

An eagle-shaped city

The two churches

A new site for a new city

One city, three sites

A hall for the feasts

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

A long reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Discovering the mother church

Some prestigious works