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.

The Maiolica of the staircase

A square as the heart of the city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Baroque town by the sea

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, three sites

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Between white and black

Prominent façade

A feast only for Scicli

The interior and its masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A triumph of colour

Some masterpieces

The church of Carmine

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Feast days

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Staircase of Angels

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The disastrous earthquake

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Many owners, one palace

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A small room with a golden entrance

A talking palace

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

Two illustrious patron saints

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

From International Gothic to present day

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

New roads for Catania

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The chocolate of Modica

Wonderful quick decorations

The two churches

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A city in colour

Some prestigious works

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The city of museums

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

A prominent church

A majestic and luminous church

The internal colours

A miniature city

A new site for a new city

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

A hall for the feasts

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Norman apses

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

An eagle-shaped city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A colourful floor

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

The theatre of taste

The colours of the cathedral

The Burgos crucifix

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The wall comes to life

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo