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.

An eagle-shaped city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

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

The chocolate of Modica

Some prestigious works

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The colours of the cathedral

A colourful floor

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The internal colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A feast only for Scicli

A half-Baroque church

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

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

A new site for a new church

The Maiolica of the staircase

A small room with a golden entrance

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

From International Gothic to present day

Two illustrious patron saints

Prominent façade

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

One city, two sites

Discovering the mother church

A museum to save a tradition

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Norman apses

The wall comes to life

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Staircase of Angels

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A city in colour

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feast days

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A hall for the feasts

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A long reconstruction

Between white and black

Searching for colour

The church of Carmine

Wonderful quick decorations

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

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

A symbol for the town

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

A miniature city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The theatre of taste

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

One city, three sites

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The disastrous earthquake

A new site for a new city

The Burgos crucifix

A triumph of 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 city of museums

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca