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 long reconstruction

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The wall comes to life

Feasting in Palazzolo

The chocolate of Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A majestic and luminous church

The Staircase of Angels

A half-Baroque church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Feast days

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The colours of the cathedral

Prominent façade

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The church of Carmine

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

A triumph of colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

From International Gothic to present day

A hall for the feasts

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

One city, three sites

The two churches

The internal colours

Two illustrious patron saints

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Some masterpieces

A talking palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Limestone, the colour of harmony

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Some prestigious works

Wonderful quick decorations

A square as the heart of the city

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The disastrous earthquake

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A small room with a golden entrance

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Between white and black

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

A symbol for the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

A colourful floor

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Many owners, one palace

A city in colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new site for a new church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The interior and its masterpieces

The theatre of taste

Norman apses

The Burgos crucifix

An eagle-shaped city

New roads for Catania

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

A feast only for Scicli

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The city of museums

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Searching for colour

A museum to save a tradition

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A prominent church

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