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 prominent church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A hall for the feasts

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The internal colours

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

One city, three sites

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The two churches

Prominent façade

A triumph of colour

The Baroque town by the sea

Feasting in Palazzolo

A miniature city

One city, two sites

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The chocolate of Modica

Wonderful quick decorations

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A half-Baroque church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Some masterpieces

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Limestone, the colour of harmony

An eagle-shaped city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The city of museums

A colourful floor

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A new site for a new city

A square as the heart of the city

Searching for colour

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The colours of the cathedral

A feast only for Scicli

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Burgos crucifix

Norman apses

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Two illustrious patron saints

From International Gothic to present day

Many owners, one palace

Discovering the mother church

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

The interior and its masterpieces

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

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A talking palace

New roads for Catania

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A majestic and luminous church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

The Staircase of Angels

Some prestigious works

The disastrous earthquake

Feast days

The theatre of taste

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The church of Carmine

A symbol for the town

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?