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.

A triumph of colour

A long reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Feast days

Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Searching for colour

Prominent façade

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

New roads for Catania

The two churches

A miniature city

A hall for the feasts

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A feast only for Scicli

A small room with a golden entrance

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Discovering the mother church

The city of museums

Norman apses

A new site for a new city

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A majestic and luminous church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A city in colour

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Some masterpieces

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

The chocolate of Modica

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A talking palace

One city, two sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

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

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The interior and its masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Between white and black

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A symbol for the town

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The disastrous earthquake

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The internal colours

The Baroque town by the sea

An eagle-shaped city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

A colourful floor

The Staircase of Angels

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

One city, three sites

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A prominent church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A half-Baroque church

The colours of the cathedral

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

From International Gothic to present day

The Burgos crucifix

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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