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.

One city, two sites

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The wall comes to life

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feasting in Palazzolo

New roads for Catania

A triumph of colour

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The theatre of taste

The interior and its masterpieces

A new site for a new church

The Baroque town by the sea

A prominent church

Between white and black

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Many owners, one palace

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Discovering the mother church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

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

A majestic and luminous church

Prominent façade

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The internal colours

An eagle-shaped city

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A new site for a new city

A feast only for Scicli

The church of Carmine

The city of museums

Some masterpieces

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A museum to save a tradition

The Burgos crucifix

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A half-Baroque church

Searching for colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Staircase of Angels

The two churches

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some prestigious works

A square as the heart of the city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feast days

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A city in colour

The colours of the cathedral

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A miniature city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

One city, three sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The disastrous earthquake

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

A talking palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The chocolate of Modica

From International Gothic to present day

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A symbol for the town

A hall for the feasts

A colourful floor

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra