Modica

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

hearing
A small monumental organ

Organo santa maria del carmeloSongs and notes accompany the celebrations as they did centuries ago.
The organ is made of wood, small in size, and placed above the entrance. Made in the second half of the 18th century, it is one of the few still working.
The music of those who still know how to play the instrument enchants and accompanies the worshippers as they experience the moment of prayer more intensely, just like in the past.

touch
Watch what you paint on

Different materials, different techniques!
In order to paint on a canvas, panel or wall, an artist must master every technique. Painting on canvas means using a soft media with a fairly smooth surface.
Panels, like the one of St. Albert, are hard, made of wood and very irregular, and can have higher and lower sections. Finally, in order to fresco a wall, an artist must lay out an even base to achieve a smooth surface on which to place the colour.
For any painting to be successful, an artist must, therefore, have excellent knowledge of the technique and materials.

sight
A beautiful rose window

The church of Carmine is an example of medieval architecture where the central rose window is still intact.
The only one of its kind, it has a very unusual decoration.
Instead of the usual floral elements, the stonemason created mini-columns surmounted by small capitals, each one different from the other and ready to converge in the centre.
It is a wonderful piece of craftsmanship that demonstrates the skill of its unknown artist.

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Searching for colour

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Limestone, the colour of harmony

From International Gothic to present day

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

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Discovering the mother church

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A miniature city

One city, two sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

New roads for Catania

The Maiolica of the staircase

The wall comes to life

The Staircase of Angels

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A symbol for the town

Between white and black

A feast only for Scicli

An eagle-shaped city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The chocolate of Modica

The theatre of taste

A triumph of colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new site for a new church

The disastrous earthquake

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

The colours of the cathedral

Two illustrious patron saints

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

A prominent church

A half-Baroque church

The Baroque town by the sea

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A small room with a golden entrance

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

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Many owners, one palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

One city, three sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The internal colours

Prominent façade

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Some masterpieces

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The two churches

A square as the heart of the city

A majestic and luminous church

A long reconstruction

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A city in colour

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The city of museums

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

A hall for the feasts

A colourful floor

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Norman apses

The interior and its masterpieces

Feasting in Palazzolo

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?