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 cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The church of Carmine

Some masterpieces

Two illustrious patron saints

A city in colour

Discovering the mother church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A prominent church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A small room with a golden entrance

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

A half-Baroque church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Baroque town by the sea

New roads for Catania

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A feast only for Scicli

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

A museum to save a tradition

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Maiolica of the staircase

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Between white and black

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

Some prestigious works

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

A colourful floor

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A square as the heart of the city

The disastrous earthquake

Norman apses

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The city of museums

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Prominent façade

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From International Gothic to present day

A new site for a new city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A triumph of colour

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Feast days

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The two churches

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A talking palace

A long reconstruction

The interior and its masterpieces

The Burgos crucifix

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A majestic and luminous church

The chocolate of Modica

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Many owners, one palace

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Searching for colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A miniature city

One city, three sites

One city, two sites

An eagle-shaped city