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

New roads for Catania

The chocolate of Modica

Feasting in Palazzolo

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The church of Carmine

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The two churches

A prominent church

Discovering the mother church

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The city of museums

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

A long reconstruction

A half-Baroque church

The theatre of taste

A new site for a new city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A city in colour

The disastrous earthquake

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Two illustrious patron saints

A small room with a golden entrance

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Between white and black

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

A colourful floor

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Searching for colour

One city, three sites

A hall for the feasts

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Some prestigious works

A talking palace

A feast only for Scicli

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

An eagle-shaped city

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Prominent façade

The Staircase of Angels

Some masterpieces

Norman apses

A majestic and luminous church

Many owners, one palace

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

A miniature city

The Maiolica of the staircase

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The internal colours

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

A museum to save a tradition

Feast days

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new site for a new church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The wall comes to life

The colours of the cathedral

The Burgos crucifix

A symbol for the town