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 new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

Many owners, one palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some masterpieces

A feast only for Scicli

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

New roads for Catania

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Discovering the mother church

The Maiolica of the staircase

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Feasting in Palazzolo

Searching for colour

A new site for a new city

A miniature city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

An eagle-shaped city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

Prominent façade

The disastrous earthquake

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Two illustrious patron saints

Connections with other UNESCO sites

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The wall comes to life

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The theatre of taste

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Some prestigious works

The chocolate of Modica

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

One city, three sites

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

Norman apses

The colours of the cathedral

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feast days

The city of museums

A half-Baroque church

One city, two sites

A triumph of colour

A long reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A hall for the feasts

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new site for a new church

A symbol for the town

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A museum to save a tradition

The church of Carmine

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

The two churches

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A majestic and luminous church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Burgos crucifix

The interior and its masterpieces

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A colourful floor

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

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

A prominent church

A talking palace

A small room with a golden entrance

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Staircase of Angels

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Wonderful quick decorations