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

A square as the heart of the city

The colours of the cathedral

The two churches

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Searching for colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new city

The chocolate of Modica

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A triumph of colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A half-Baroque church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Wonderful quick decorations

A feast only for Scicli

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A miniature city

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

The Baroque town by the sea

A hall for the feasts

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A museum to save a tradition

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A symbol for the town

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The church of Carmine

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

One city, two sites

Between white and black

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The wall comes to life

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The façade used as a puppet theatre

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

An eagle-shaped city

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A long reconstruction

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

New roads for Catania

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The internal colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A small room with a golden entrance

The Burgos crucifix

Some masterpieces

Some prestigious works

The disastrous earthquake

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A prominent church

A city in colour

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Feasting in Palazzolo

Norman apses

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Two illustrious patron saints

Prominent façade

One city, three sites

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

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Maiolica of the staircase

Many owners, one palace

A majestic and luminous church

Feast days

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Staircase of Angels

The city of museums

A colourful floor

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Discovering the mother church