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.

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

One city, three sites

An eagle-shaped city

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

The internal colours

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The church of Carmine

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The disastrous earthquake

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The wall comes to life

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Some prestigious works

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A feast only for Scicli

The Baroque town by the sea

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Wonderful quick decorations

A museum to save a tradition

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feasting in Palazzolo

A miniature city

A prominent church

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The city of museums

A small room with a golden entrance

Some masterpieces

Norman apses

From International Gothic to present day

The Burgos crucifix

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The chocolate of Modica

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

A new site for a new church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A colourful floor

The colours of the cathedral

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A city in colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The two churches

A square as the heart of the city

The theatre of taste

Discovering the mother church

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A long reconstruction

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A hall for the feasts

A symbol for the town

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A talking palace

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Maiolica of the staircase

A triumph of colour

New roads for Catania

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Between white and black

Feast days

Prominent façade

One city, two sites

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Staircase of Angels

Searching for colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The interior and its masterpieces

A half-Baroque church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto