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.

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

One city, two sites

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The internal colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

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

A majestic and luminous church

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A talking palace

The Baroque town by the sea

From International Gothic to present day

The church of Carmine

Between white and black

New roads for Catania

A small room with a golden entrance

The Burgos crucifix

Prominent façade

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

Norman apses

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The disastrous earthquake

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, three sites

A symbol for the town

The wall comes to life

The Staircase of Angels

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new site for a new city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The colours of the cathedral

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The city of museums

A colourful floor

A feast only for Scicli

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

A hall for the feasts

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The theatre of taste

A new site for a new church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A prominent church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A miniature city

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Wonderful quick decorations

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

An eagle-shaped city

A long reconstruction

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

The chocolate of Modica

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

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

Some prestigious works

A half-Baroque church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feast days

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Discovering the mother church