Modica

From International Gothic to present day

interno chiesa dall’ingresso verso l’altareThe interior of the church of Carmine features a classic Sicilian maiolica floor paired with a snow white wall with some architectural elements in relief such as capitals , arches, columns and the trabeation .
Their combination produces plays of light and shadow, achieved thanks to the rays of sunlight filtering through the windows. The altars, paintings such as the panel of St. Albert and the sculptural complex of the Annunciation add colour to and illuminate the church of Carmine. The white wooden structure behind the main altar is wonderful, embellished with golden stuccoes in the centre of which is the Madonna and Child.
foto dettaglio trabeazione foto dettaglio trabeazione
An astonishing discovery was made a few years ago: to the right of the apse , hidden in the wall, was the entrance to a side chapel of medieval, late-Gothic times. Traces remain of its ancient decoration and the funerary room beneath the floor.
struttura dietro l’altare

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Some masterpieces

The interior and its masterpieces

The Burgos crucifix

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new church

The disastrous earthquake

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

Prominent façade

Discovering the mother church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The city of museums

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

An eagle-shaped city

A museum to save a tradition

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A miniature city

A half-Baroque church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Norman apses

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Staircase of Angels

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

New roads for Catania

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

One city, three sites

From International Gothic to present day

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The chocolate of Modica

A majestic and luminous church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Wonderful quick decorations

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Searching for colour

A symbol for the town

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feast days

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

A colourful floor

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A city in colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The church of Carmine

A feast only for Scicli

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The two churches

Modica, a city with ancient origins

One city, two sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

Two illustrious patron saints

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The internal colours

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

A hall for the feasts

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A long reconstruction

The theatre of taste

A small room with a golden entrance

The colours of the cathedral

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

Many owners, one palace

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

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Between white and black

St. Sebastian, so much work!