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 Staircase of Angels

The internal colours

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The church of Carmine

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A museum to save a tradition

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A symbol for the town

An eagle-shaped city

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

One city, three sites

Discovering the mother church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A hall for the feasts

A feast only for Scicli

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Two illustrious patron saints

A square as the heart of the city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

From International Gothic to present day

The theatre of taste

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The interior and its masterpieces

Searching for colour

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A half-Baroque church

Feasting in Palazzolo

The two churches

A colourful floor

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A long reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Baroque town by the sea

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A city in colour

Between white and black

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The chocolate of Modica

A triumph of colour

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Prominent façade

A miniature city

The colours of the cathedral

The Burgos crucifix

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A majestic and luminous church

Wonderful quick decorations

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The city of museums

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A talking palace

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Norman apses

One city, two sites

The disastrous earthquake

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

Some masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

A new site for a new city

A new site for a new church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

New roads for Catania

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A prominent church

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The wall comes to life

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century