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 Santa Chiara

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The two churches

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A half-Baroque church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The colours of the cathedral

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Staircase of Angels

A city in colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Two illustrious patron saints

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A museum to save a tradition

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

An eagle-shaped city

The interior and its masterpieces

A long reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

A talking palace

Some masterpieces

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Feasting in Palazzolo

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

From International Gothic to present day

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A triumph of colour

A square as the heart of the city

The Burgos crucifix

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

A hall for the feasts

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

A colourful floor

A prominent church

Prominent façade

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

Searching for colour

A new site for a new city

Discovering the mother church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A small room with a golden entrance

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The city of museums

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

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The internal colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Many owners, one palace

The Baroque town by the sea

A majestic and luminous church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

One city, three sites

The chocolate of Modica

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

New roads for Catania

The theatre of taste

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new church

Between white and black

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The church of Carmine

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Feast days

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Maiolica of the staircase

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph