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 colourful floor

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

A triumph of colour

Between white and black

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Prominent façade

The Baroque town by the sea

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The colours of the cathedral

A half-Baroque church

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

New roads for Catania

A small room with a golden entrance

The city of museums

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Burgos crucifix

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The two churches

The chocolate of Modica

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Many owners, one palace

A talking palace

The Staircase of Angels

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The interior and its masterpieces

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Two illustrious patron saints

One city, three sites

The theatre of taste

Searching for colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A miniature city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Some prestigious works

A square as the heart of the city

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

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Maiolica of the staircase

Feasting in Palazzolo

A feast only for Scicli

From International Gothic to present day

The disastrous earthquake

A city in colour

Norman apses

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Discovering the mother church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The wall comes to life

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Wonderful quick decorations

A prominent church

Some masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feast days

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

A symbol for the town

An eagle-shaped city

The church of Carmine

A long reconstruction

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A majestic and luminous church

One city, two sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The internal colours

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A hall for the feasts