Ragusa

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

sight
A valley for Palazzo La Rocca

The green valley overlooked by Palazzo La Rocca is a riot of colours that vary with the changing seasons.
From the strong bright colours of spring, it moves on to shades of yellow and ochre in summer due to the lack of rain. As it reaches the end of summer, the colours are reborn with autumn fruits, such as pomegranate and quince.
Finally, winter arrives, which by nature makes everything darker, grey and less luxuriant.

hearing
The noises of a bygone era

The corbels of Palazzo La Rocca are a memory from a bygone era, especially the balcony with the flute and tenor mandola players, which brings to mind the sweet melodies played at the great parties held at the Palazzo, one of the most important events for the aristocracy. Delicate sounds accompanied the balls and dances in the great hall!

smell
The smell of the stone

The entrance to Palazzo La Rocca is extremely evocative.
With a little imagination you can picture Don Saverio La Rocca climbing the pietra pece staircase at the entrance.
What makes the atrium unique, however, is the strong smell of petroleum that envelops the entire space. It’s hard to believe, but the stone’s composition gives the room a sharp scent that verges on unpleasant, though it is fascinating to think that nature was able to create such a strong-smelling stone.

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The chocolate of Modica

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A small room with a golden entrance

A new site for a new church

The two churches

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Prominent façade

Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

Discovering the mother church

A miniature city

A square as the heart of the city

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

The disastrous earthquake

Many owners, one palace

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

The city of museums

A symbol for the town

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The internal colours

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Norman apses

Connections with other UNESCO sites

One city, three sites

A talking palace

Some prestigious works

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

One city, two sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

New roads for Catania

A museum to save a tradition

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A triumph of colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The colours of the cathedral

Searching for colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Burgos crucifix

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A majestic and luminous church

The Baroque town by the sea

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A long reconstruction

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

From International Gothic to present day

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A city in colour

The wall comes to life

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feast days

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Between white and black

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A prominent church

The theatre of taste

A half-Baroque church

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A feast only for Scicli

The interior and its masterpieces

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

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

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

An eagle-shaped city

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata