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.

One city, three sites

A majestic and luminous church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Feast days

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

An eagle-shaped city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The disastrous earthquake

The theatre of taste

Wonderful quick decorations

A symbol for the town

The interior and its masterpieces

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A square as the heart of the city

One city, two sites

The church of Carmine

A city in colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new site for a new church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The wall comes to life

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

New roads for Catania

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

The city of museums

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

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

Many owners, one palace

The chocolate of Modica

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The two churches

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

The Burgos crucifix

Two illustrious patron saints

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A talking palace

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A miniature city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A feast only for Scicli

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A long reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Prominent façade

A new site for a new city

Norman apses

A museum to save a tradition

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Discovering the mother church

Searching for colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Some prestigious works

A half-Baroque church

A hall for the feasts

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Between white and black

A triumph of colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A prominent church

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

The Staircase of Angels

A colourful floor

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

From International Gothic to present day