Ragusa

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

sight
A valley for Palazzo La Rocca

The green valley overlooked by Palazzo La Rocca is a riot of colours that vary with the changing seasons.
From the strong bright colours of spring, it moves on to shades of yellow and ochre in summer due to the lack of rain. As it reaches the end of summer, the colours are reborn with autumn fruits, such as pomegranate and quince.
Finally, winter arrives, which by nature makes everything darker, grey and less luxuriant.

hearing
The noises of a bygone era

The corbels of Palazzo La Rocca are a memory from a bygone era, especially the balcony with the flute and tenor mandola players, which brings to mind the sweet melodies played at the great parties held at the Palazzo, one of the most important events for the aristocracy. Delicate sounds accompanied the balls and dances in the great hall!

smell
The smell of the stone

The entrance to Palazzo La Rocca is extremely evocative.
With a little imagination you can picture Don Saverio La Rocca climbing the pietra pece staircase at the entrance.
What makes the atrium unique, however, is the strong smell of petroleum that envelops the entire space. It’s hard to believe, but the stone’s composition gives the room a sharp scent that verges on unpleasant, though it is fascinating to think that nature was able to create such a strong-smelling stone.

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A miniature city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

New roads for Catania

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The Baroque town by the sea

From International Gothic to present day

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The theatre of taste

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The disastrous earthquake

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Some masterpieces

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

A hall for the feasts

The wall comes to life

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The Burgos crucifix

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A museum to save a tradition

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feast days

A colourful floor

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The two churches

The church of Carmine

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Wonderful quick decorations

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The city of museums

A square as the heart of the city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The colours of the cathedral

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

The internal colours

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A talking palace

Between white and black

Two illustrious patron saints

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A triumph of colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A long reconstruction

Searching for colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new site for a new city

One city, two sites

A city in colour

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A feast only for Scicli

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Discovering the mother church

Some prestigious works

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Norman apses

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Many owners, one palace

An eagle-shaped city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A majestic and luminous church

A symbol for the town

A half-Baroque church

A new site for a new church

The interior and its masterpieces

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Prominent façade