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.

Searching for colour

Many owners, one palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The theatre of taste

New roads for Catania

A colourful floor

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Wonderful quick decorations

A city in colour

The Staircase of Angels

A majestic and luminous church

The wall comes to life

A talking palace

The two churches

Feasting in Palazzolo

An eagle-shaped city

Discovering the mother church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A symbol for the town

Two illustrious patron saints

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

A square as the heart of the city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From International Gothic to present day

A triumph of colour

The chocolate of Modica

Norman apses

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new site for a new church

Some prestigious works

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One city, three sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

The interior and its masterpieces

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A small room with a golden entrance

A miniature city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A half-Baroque church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Burgos crucifix

The colours of the cathedral

A long reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A prominent church

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

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

The church of Carmine

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A hall for the feasts

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Prominent façade

A new site for a new city

Between white and black

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A museum to save a tradition

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Feast days

One city, two sites

The disastrous earthquake