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.

Feasting in Palazzolo

A colourful floor

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The interior and its masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Burgos crucifix

From International Gothic to present day

A miniature city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A hall for the feasts

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The disastrous earthquake

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A new site for a new church

A city in colour

The theatre of taste

Many owners, one palace

A talking palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A symbol for the town

A long reconstruction

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Feast days

Discovering the mother church

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

The two churches

A museum to save a tradition

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Between white and black

One city, three sites

One city, two sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Searching for colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The wall comes to life

The church of Carmine

Norman apses

A feast only for Scicli

A new site for a new city

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

A majestic and luminous church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The city of museums

An eagle-shaped city

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Staircase of Angels

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

New roads for Catania

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

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

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The internal colours

Wonderful quick decorations

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

The Baroque town by the sea

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A half-Baroque church

Prominent façade

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A triumph of colour