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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A square as the heart of the city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A feast only for Scicli

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A city in colour

The city of museums

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

A triumph of colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A long reconstruction

Feasting in Palazzolo

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The chocolate of Modica

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Many owners, one palace

The Staircase of Angels

The theatre of taste

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Discovering the mother church

Searching for colour

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A museum to save a tradition

A half-Baroque church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A prominent church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A colourful floor

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The interior and its masterpieces

New roads for Catania

The church of Carmine

Some masterpieces

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Between white and black

A miniature city

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Burgos crucifix

The wall comes to life

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The two churches

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The colours of the cathedral

An eagle-shaped city

One city, three sites

A talking palace

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new site for a new church

Prominent façade

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The disastrous earthquake

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Feast days

Wonderful quick decorations

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

A hall for the feasts

A symbol for the town

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A majestic and luminous church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A new site for a new city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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