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 Burgos crucifix

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The city of museums

A city in colour

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

The colours of the cathedral

Norman apses

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

The Staircase of Angels

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One city, two sites

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A miniature city

A small room with a golden entrance

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Maiolica of the staircase

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

An eagle-shaped city

The Baroque town by the sea

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The two churches

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Some prestigious works

Limestone, the colour of harmony

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new city

A colourful floor

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A museum to save a tradition

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Searching for colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A feast only for Scicli

One city, three sites

A half-Baroque church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Discovering the mother church

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A majestic and luminous church

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

A square as the heart of the city

A talking palace

Two illustrious patron saints

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A prominent church

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

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

The church of Carmine

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Many owners, one palace

The interior and its masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

New roads for Catania

A triumph of colour

A symbol for the town

A long reconstruction

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Wonderful quick decorations

Some masterpieces

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The disastrous earthquake

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste