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 new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

An eagle-shaped city

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A miniature city

A talking palace

A colourful floor

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A city in colour

Discovering the mother church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, three sites

The church of Carmine

A long reconstruction

The interior and its masterpieces

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A triumph of colour

Between white and black

Some masterpieces

The chocolate of Modica

The two churches

A square as the heart of the city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The internal colours

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Feast days

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The disastrous earthquake

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Prominent façade

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

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

One city, two sites

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A small room with a golden entrance

The colours of the cathedral

The wall comes to life

From International Gothic to present day

The Staircase of Angels

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new church

Two illustrious patron saints

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A feast only for Scicli

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

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

The Burgos crucifix

Wonderful quick decorations

The Maiolica of the staircase

Feasting in Palazzolo

A half-Baroque church

New roads for Catania

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A museum to save a tradition

A hall for the feasts

Searching for colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Some prestigious works

The city of museums

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new city

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The theatre of taste

A symbol for the town

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Norman apses

Connections with other UNESCO sites