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 triumph of colour

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

The colours of the cathedral

A prominent church

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

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

An eagle-shaped city

The Maiolica of the staircase

The interior and its masterpieces

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Between white and black

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Discovering the mother church

The two churches

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The church of Carmine

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

One city, two sites

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

New roads for Catania

The theatre of taste

From International Gothic to present day

Prominent façade

The disastrous earthquake

The city of museums

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Sebastian, so much work!

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A city in colour

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The chocolate of Modica

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

One city, three sites

A miniature city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Norman apses

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A hall for the feasts

Searching for colour

A talking palace

The internal colours

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A symbol for the town

A square as the heart of the city

A feast only for Scicli

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Feast days

A half-Baroque church

A new site for a new church

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

A colourful floor

Two illustrious patron saints

Some prestigious works

A small room with a golden entrance

A museum to save a tradition

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Staircase of Angels

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Some masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom