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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

An eagle-shaped city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The disastrous earthquake

A miniature city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A museum to save a tradition

The city of museums

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The Burgos crucifix

A small room with a golden entrance

The chocolate of Modica

One city, two sites

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

The Staircase of Angels

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Baroque town by the sea

A symbol for the town

The wall comes to life

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

The church of Carmine

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

One city, three sites

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Between white and black

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Feasting in Palazzolo

Feast days

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The internal colours

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A majestic and luminous church

The colours of the cathedral

Two illustrious patron saints

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

From International Gothic to present day

A half-Baroque church

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Many owners, one palace

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

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A colourful floor

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The theatre of taste

A long reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Discovering the mother church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new church

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

Norman apses

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A square as the heart of the city

The two churches

A new site for a new city

The Maiolica of the staircase

New roads for Catania

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A feast only for Scicli

A city in colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Prominent façade

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

A hall for the feasts