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.

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A hall for the feasts

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The theatre of taste

A miniature city

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Norman apses

A long reconstruction

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

A colourful floor

The chocolate of Modica

Feast days

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

From International Gothic to present day

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The interior and its masterpieces

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The colours of the cathedral

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Discovering the mother church

One city, three sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A talking palace

A symbol for the town

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

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

A half-Baroque church

The wall comes to life

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The city of museums

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

New roads for Catania

The church of Carmine

The internal colours

A city in colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Many owners, one palace

Wonderful quick decorations

Searching for colour

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

One city, two sites

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

The Burgos crucifix

A triumph of colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A prominent church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Some prestigious works

A feast only for Scicli

The Baroque town by the sea

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Feasting in Palazzolo

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A majestic and luminous church

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

A small room with a golden entrance

The two churches

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Prominent façade

A square as the heart of the city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library