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

The church of Carmine

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A prominent church

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

New roads for Catania

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

An eagle-shaped city

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

A colourful floor

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Wonderful quick decorations

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Burgos crucifix

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new city

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

A long reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A triumph of colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A museum to save a tradition

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Prominent façade

Two illustrious patron saints

A city in colour

Discovering the mother church

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

A talking palace

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The chocolate of Modica

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A hall for the feasts

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A majestic and luminous church

The theatre of taste

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The disastrous earthquake

The wall comes to life

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Baroque town by the sea

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A square as the heart of the city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Staircase of Angels

Many owners, one palace

The city of museums

A symbol for the town

Searching for colour

The internal colours

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A miniature city

The two churches

One city, three sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new site for a new church

Feast days

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The colours of the cathedral

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A half-Baroque church