La Rocca Palace (Sant'Ippolito) 

Palazzo La Rocca is located in Via Capitano Bocchieri, near the Cathedral of San Giorgio. The building was built between 1760 and 1780 by the baron of Sant'Ippolito, Don Saverio la Rocca. The building is spread over two levels with an elevation, not very high (about 8 meters) but very wide (about 50 meters) and enriched by eight balconies with goose-breasted iron railings; a balcony is above the entrance door, the other seven are characterized by baroque style shelves representing scenes from the life of the time.

The entrance to the building is valuable, after passing the main door you can admire a double flight of steps, in pitch stone with the floor decorated with inserts in white limestone and majolica.

Coming from Piazza Duomo you can admire the eight balconies that adorn the façade.

In the first balcony a horn player in the center and two putti on the sides.

In the second balcony a telamon with a frowning expression, as if to indicate the effort to support the balcony, on the sides two shelves with ornamental motifs.

The third balcony is characterized by a couple embracing, flanked by two pairs of children who caress each other.

In the fourth balcony Corinthian sculptures are clearly visible which form the final part of the semi-pillars that flank the central door. 

On the fifth balcony, a woman with a child flanked by two masks.

On the sixth balcony a guitar player flanked on the right by a puttino and on the left by a mask.

The seventh balcony has in the center a flute player flanked by a little face that seems to have a sad expression, and by a mask.

The last balcony, the eighth, is characterized by three corbels each made up of two superimposed subjects: the first corbel on the left shows a bespectacled gentleman topped by one carrying a barrel on his shoulder; on the second corbel stands a mask with some feathers on the hat dominated by another holding a sword; on the third one is visible a bearded mask surmounted by a carrier of geese.  

Asset bound: DA n. 1094 of 25.05.1990

Extract from the book: The Baroque of Val di Noto in the UNESCO World Heritage by Ignazio Caloggero - ISBN Code: 9788832060140

Card insertion: Ignazio Caloggero

Information contributions: Ignazio Caloggero Web

Photo: Ignazio, Caloggero

Audio Guide: Ignazio Caloggero

Property included in the Multimedia Archive of Esoteric Cultural Heritage

The property has been recognised as a property that could present characteristics attributable to theCultural EsotericismGroup belonging: A

Methodological note: 

The assets entered in the archive are divided into three groups, based on their level of recognition and documentation:

• Group A – Well signposted: This includes cultural assets identified as potentially esoteric. This is an initial observation phase, during which the asset is studied, compared with sources, and critically evaluated.
• Group B – Recognized asset: It includes assets for which there are reliable studies and documentation attesting to their belonging to the Esoteric Cultural Heritage, but which are not yet accompanied by the complete esoteric profile.
• Group C – Well documented: It contains fully recognized and analyzed items, accompanied by a detailed esoteric description illustrating their symbolic meanings, interpretations, and historical-cultural context. This is the most advanced level of documentation within the archive.

To ensure rigor and interpretative consistency, the archive is based on a rigorous methodology aimed at avoiding the indiscriminate inclusion of cultural assets. To this end, specific criteria are adopted: recognition tools and a classification system, illustrated in the project Archive of Cultural Esotericism, described on the external site Experiential itineraries, to which we refer for further methodological information.