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 talking palace

An eagle-shaped city

Wonderful quick decorations

The Burgos crucifix

Discovering the mother church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A triumph of colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Baroque town by the sea

Some prestigious works

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

Some masterpieces

The two churches

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

A museum to save a tradition

From International Gothic to present day

The church of Carmine

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The internal colours

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feast days

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

New roads for Catania

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A miniature city

A half-Baroque church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Between white and black

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new church

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The city of museums

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A city in colour

The wall comes to life

The Staircase of Angels

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The interior and its masterpieces

A symbol for the town

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new site for a new city

A hall for the feasts

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The colours of the cathedral

Norman apses

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Prominent façade

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A prominent church

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Searching for colour

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A colourful floor

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Two illustrious patron saints

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The theatre of taste

A majestic and luminous church

A square as the heart of the city

The disastrous earthquake

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

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

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church