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 about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

One city, two sites

A museum to save a tradition

The theatre of taste

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A colourful floor

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Feasting in Palazzolo

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Feast days

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Searching for colour

The interior and its masterpieces

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Between white and black

From International Gothic to present day

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Norman apses

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The church of Carmine

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Some prestigious works

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A majestic and luminous church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A prominent church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A half-Baroque church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A symbol for the town

Many owners, one palace

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

New roads for Catania

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Staircase of Angels

The city of museums

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

The chocolate of Modica

A long reconstruction

The Burgos crucifix

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Discovering the mother church

A triumph of colour

Prominent façade

The Baroque town by the sea

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Wonderful quick decorations

The disastrous earthquake

A miniature city

The colours of the cathedral

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The internal colours

The wall comes to life

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The two churches

A square as the heart of the city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some masterpieces

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

A feast only for Scicli

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

A talking palace

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

An eagle-shaped city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A new site for a new city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A hall for the feasts