Ragusa

A talking palace

terzo balconeWhat makes Palazzo La Rocca so unique are its large corbels , below the balconies, three supporting each one. They tell their own story and amaze passers-by.
From Via Duomo the first balcony that we find is the balcony of the Cherubini (cherubs).
The second and third balconies are dedicated to music, where sculptures of a tenor mandola player and a flute player remind us that at that time music, bel canto and feasts were an essential part of aristocratic life.
il balcone con i suonatori di mandorla particolare il balcone con i suonatori di mandorla
il balcone con i suonatori di flauto particolare settimo balcone
The fourth balcony portrays a tender moment between mother and son. Then follows the balcony above the entrance door decorated with a central shell and plant decorations in the side corbels.
The sixth is the balcony of the Amorini, where three pairs of cupids are linked in a tender embrace.
The seventh balcony has a sculpted telamon that seems to support the full weight of the balcony all by itself.
Balcone sopra il portale foto settimo balcone ottavo balcone
The final balcony is the balcony of the Cavaliere (knight). It is surrounded by several characters.
On the left is a masked man, perhaps one of his soldiers or bodyguards, and on the right is a figure with a malevolent smile, which represents cunning; above is a large moustached man with a thick head of hair and two porters.
What a sight! Walking down Via Capitano Bocchieri is like going to the theatre.

Discovering the mother church

A colourful floor

The theatre of taste

The wall comes to life

From International Gothic to present day

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The city of museums

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new church

A museum to save a tradition

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

One city, three sites

Two illustrious patron saints

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

A miniature city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Norman apses

A small room with a golden entrance

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

Some masterpieces

A majestic and luminous church

The internal colours

The two churches

A talking palace

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A feast only for Scicli

A hall for the feasts

The colours of the cathedral

The Maiolica of the staircase

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Prominent façade

Between white and black

The church of Carmine

An eagle-shaped city

One city, two sites

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Feast days

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Baroque town by the sea

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

A triumph of colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some prestigious works

The interior and its masterpieces

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A square as the heart of the city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The chocolate of Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A prominent church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The disastrous earthquake

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

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A half-Baroque church

A new site for a new city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Burgos crucifix

Searching for colour

New roads for Catania

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Staircase of Angels