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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Discovering the mother church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The church of Carmine

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A hall for the feasts

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Norman apses

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

An eagle-shaped city

A triumph of colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Maiolica of the staircase

From International Gothic to present day

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Some prestigious works

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A majestic and luminous church

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

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Feast days

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A long reconstruction

The interior and its masterpieces

The theatre of taste

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The wall comes to life

One city, two sites

A new site for a new city

New roads for Catania

The Staircase of Angels

The Baroque town by the sea

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A miniature city

A colourful floor

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

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The internal colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A half-Baroque church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

A museum to save a tradition

Many owners, one palace

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

A symbol for the town

Modica, a city with ancient origins

One city, three sites

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Between white and black

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

A square as the heart of the city

Wonderful quick decorations

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

A small room with a golden entrance

The two churches

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Searching for colour

Some masterpieces

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A prominent church

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

The city of museums

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The colours of the cathedral

A city in colour

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Burgos crucifix