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

The two churches

A city in colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A talking palace

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

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

The Staircase of Angels

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

A symbol for the town

A colourful floor

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

A miniature city

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Between white and black

St. Sebastian, so much work!

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The chocolate of Modica

From International Gothic to present day

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A triumph of colour

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Maiolica of the staircase

Norman apses

The theatre of taste

A feast only for Scicli

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A museum to save a tradition

The city of museums

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Discovering the mother church

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

One city, two sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

One city, three sites

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A long reconstruction

Some prestigious works

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

A half-Baroque church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A majestic and luminous church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Baroque town by the sea

Feasting in Palazzolo

The colours of the cathedral

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new site for a new church

Wonderful quick decorations

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A small room with a golden entrance

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

A Nobel Prize in Modica

New roads for Catania

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The internal colours

A new site for a new city

Some masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A hall for the feasts

The Burgos crucifix

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A prominent church

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

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

Prominent façade

Many owners, one palace