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.

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

The disastrous earthquake

A square as the heart of the city

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, three sites

A city in colour

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Between white and black

A colourful floor

One city, two sites

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A majestic and luminous church

A museum to save a tradition

Searching for colour

Two illustrious patron saints

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A triumph of colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A half-Baroque church

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

Many owners, one palace

A small room with a golden entrance

Prominent façade

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A long reconstruction

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The internal colours

The Burgos crucifix

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

The two churches

From International Gothic to present day

A new site for a new church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some masterpieces

A new site for a new city

The colours of the cathedral

The city of museums

Norman apses

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A miniature city

A symbol for the town

An eagle-shaped city

The theatre of taste

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The wall comes to life

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A talking palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

A hall for the feasts

A prominent church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some prestigious works

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Staircase of Angels

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

Discovering the mother church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The chocolate of Modica

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

A feast only for Scicli

A Nobel Prize in Modica