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 internal colours

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A museum to save a tradition

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A small room with a golden entrance

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The chocolate of Modica

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

One city, two sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Baroque town by the sea

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A prominent church

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

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

A new site for a new church

The church of Carmine

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The wall comes to life

A city in colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Feast days

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Between white and black

A triumph of colour

A square as the heart of the city

The two churches

New roads for Catania

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Two illustrious patron saints

Some prestigious works

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The interior and its masterpieces

The Staircase of Angels

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Prominent façade

Many owners, one palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

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

A colourful floor

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Searching for colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A feast only for Scicli

A miniature city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

One city, three sites

The theatre of taste

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A half-Baroque church

The Burgos crucifix

The disastrous earthquake

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The city of museums

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

A long reconstruction

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The colours of the cathedral

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

Norman apses

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A majestic and luminous church

A new site for a new city

A talking palace

A hall for the feasts

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