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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The city of museums

The façade used as a puppet theatre

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, two sites

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The disastrous earthquake

New roads for Catania

Norman apses

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The wall comes to life

One city, three sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The chocolate of Modica

Some prestigious works

Many owners, one palace

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Feasting in Palazzolo

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

The Staircase of Angels

A colourful floor

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

A small room with a golden entrance

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The church of Carmine

The Maiolica of the staircase

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new site for a new church

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

Wonderful quick decorations

Two illustrious patron saints

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The internal colours

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A museum to save a tradition

A long reconstruction

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

From International Gothic to present day

Prominent façade

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

A half-Baroque church

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A city in colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The colours of the cathedral

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A talking palace

A square as the heart of the city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Burgos crucifix

The Baroque town by the sea

A symbol for the town

A feast only for Scicli

A prominent church

Searching for colour

A miniature city

A hall for the feasts

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Between white and black

A triumph of colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family