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.

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A long reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

One city, three sites

Prominent façade

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new city

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The internal colours

A hall for the feasts

A talking palace

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

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

The Staircase of Angels

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The church of Carmine

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A majestic and luminous church

An eagle-shaped city

Many owners, one palace

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

The city of museums

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

From International Gothic to present day

A triumph of colour

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

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

New roads for Catania

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Wonderful quick decorations

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Discovering the mother church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Between white and black

A half-Baroque church

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The colours of the cathedral

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The theatre of taste

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A miniature city

Searching for colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A prominent church

The interior and its masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The disastrous earthquake

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Some prestigious works

The chocolate of Modica

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The wall comes to life

The Burgos crucifix

Some masterpieces

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A small room with a golden entrance

Norman apses

One city, two sites

The two churches

Feast days

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A colourful floor

A city in colour