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 Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A symbol for the town

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Maiolica of the staircase

A museum to save a tradition

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feasting in Palazzolo

A square as the heart of the city

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Connections with other UNESCO sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Feast days

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A small room with a golden entrance

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Wonderful quick decorations

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

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

An eagle-shaped city

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

The city of museums

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

From International Gothic to present day

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new site for a new city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The theatre of taste

One city, three sites

Some prestigious works

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new site for a new church

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

The chocolate of Modica

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A talking palace

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

Norman apses

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The disastrous earthquake

The wall comes to life

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A triumph of colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A long reconstruction

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A city in colour

A half-Baroque church

A colourful floor

Prominent façade

The interior and its masterpieces

The church of Carmine

New roads for Catania

Many owners, one palace

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

Discovering the mother church

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Burgos crucifix

Between white and black

A majestic and luminous church

One city, two sites

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

A hall for the feasts

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A feast only for Scicli