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 two churches

A half-Baroque church

One city, three sites

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Burgos crucifix

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A city in colour

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

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

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

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Searching for colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feast days

A feast only for Scicli

A hall for the feasts

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

The chocolate of Modica

The theatre of taste

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Staircase of Angels

From International Gothic to present day

The colours of the cathedral

The internal colours

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The disastrous earthquake

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

One city, two sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new site for a new church

Prominent façade

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The church of Carmine

A colourful floor

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A square as the heart of the city

A small room with a golden entrance

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A long reconstruction

A museum to save a tradition

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A symbol for the town

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A Nobel Prize in Modica

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A prominent church

Discovering the mother church

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

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Sebastian, so much work!

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

New roads for Catania

A triumph of colour

Many owners, one palace

A majestic and luminous church

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Some prestigious works

Norman apses

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

An eagle-shaped city

The city of museums

The wall comes to life

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Between white and black