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 the Annunciation

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A triumph of colour

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

The theatre of taste

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The Baroque town by the sea

Discovering the mother church

Norman apses

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

New roads for Catania

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A square as the heart of the city

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A symbol for the town

The city of museums

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The internal colours

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

A talking palace

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Some masterpieces

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Many owners, one palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The two churches

The Burgos crucifix

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Feast days

From International Gothic to present day

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Searching for colour

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The colours of the cathedral

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Maiolica of the staircase

A colourful floor

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A hall for the feasts

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A city in colour

A long reconstruction

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A majestic and luminous church

A feast only for Scicli

A new site for a new church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

An eagle-shaped city

Feasting in Palazzolo

Between white and black

A museum to save a tradition

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new city

Prominent façade

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The chocolate of Modica

One city, two sites

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A half-Baroque church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A small room with a golden entrance

A miniature city

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

The wall comes to life

Two illustrious patron saints

The disastrous earthquake