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

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Discovering the mother church

The two churches

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Two illustrious patron saints

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A hall for the feasts

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Staircase of Angels

The wall comes to life

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A triumph of colour

A colourful floor

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Prominent façade

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

One city, two sites

Norman apses

The colours of the cathedral

Many owners, one palace

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new city

Some masterpieces

The chocolate of Modica

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Burgos crucifix

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

Searching for colour

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A half-Baroque church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A small room with a golden entrance

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The internal colours

The city of museums

The Baroque town by the sea

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A majestic and luminous church

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

An eagle-shaped city

A symbol for the town

A square as the heart of the city

From International Gothic to present day

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Between white and black

The disastrous earthquake

New roads for Catania

Feast days

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A talking palace

A feast only for Scicli

Wonderful quick decorations

A long reconstruction

The church of Carmine

Some prestigious works

The theatre of taste

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A city in colour