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 kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The city of museums

New roads for Catania

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The theatre of taste

A small room with a golden entrance

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A hall for the feasts

A prominent church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A talking palace

From International Gothic to present day

A city in colour

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Feast days

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Between white and black

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

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new site for a new city

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

A symbol for the town

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Staircase of Angels

The internal colours

Searching for colour

Some masterpieces

A long reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

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

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

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

The disastrous earthquake

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new site for a new church

Many owners, one palace

A miniature city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The chocolate of Modica

Norman apses

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The church of Carmine

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Baroque town by the sea

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A majestic and luminous church

The Maiolica of the staircase

Prominent façade

A square as the heart of the city

One city, two sites

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A triumph of colour

A feast only for Scicli

Modica, a city with ancient origins

An eagle-shaped city

The colours of the cathedral

The Burgos crucifix

Discovering the mother church

A museum to save a tradition

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The two churches

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A colourful floor