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 square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

The colours of the cathedral

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

New roads for Catania

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Baroque town by the sea

Prominent façade

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A museum to save a tradition

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

From International Gothic to present day

A city in colour

A miniature city

The Maiolica of the staircase

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The disastrous earthquake

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The wall comes to life

The chocolate of Modica

The city of museums

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

Wonderful quick decorations

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

An eagle-shaped city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Discovering the mother church

The theatre of taste

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

A triumph of colour

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The interior and its masterpieces

Between white and black

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A colourful floor

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Many owners, one palace

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new site for a new city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Burgos crucifix

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

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

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some prestigious works

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

The two churches

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

One city, three sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Staircase of Angels

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some masterpieces

A small room with a golden entrance

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new church

Searching for colour

A talking palace

The internal colours

The church of Carmine

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A long reconstruction

Feast days