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.

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Searching for colour

The church of Carmine

The Staircase of Angels

A majestic and luminous church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

New roads for Catania

A small room with a golden entrance

The theatre of taste

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

An eagle-shaped city

A long reconstruction

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The disastrous earthquake

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A museum to save a tradition

A miniature city

One city, three sites

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The colours of the cathedral

A triumph of colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

Feast days

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

Prominent façade

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The city of museums

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Burgos crucifix

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The wall comes to life

Between white and black

The internal colours

A colourful floor

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Some prestigious works

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A hall for the feasts

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

A square as the heart of the city

A talking palace

A symbol for the town

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

The chocolate of Modica

A half-Baroque church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new site for a new city

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Norman apses

The Baroque town by the sea

The Maiolica of the staircase

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The two churches

The interior and its masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Discovering the mother church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A feast only for Scicli

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Two illustrious patron saints

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Wonderful quick decorations

One city, two sites

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Feasting in Palazzolo

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