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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A miniature city

The disastrous earthquake

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Many owners, one palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

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

A hall for the feasts

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

Norman apses

A prominent church

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Staircase of Angels

A majestic and luminous church

A small room with a golden entrance

The church of Carmine

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The two churches

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A feast only for Scicli

The city of museums

From International Gothic to present day

Prominent façade

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

Searching for colour

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

The Baroque town by the sea

Wonderful quick decorations

The theatre of taste

A new site for a new church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The chocolate of Modica

Feast days

The Burgos crucifix

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Between white and black

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The colours of the cathedral

A talking palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The wall comes to life

The internal colours

A city in colour

A square as the heart of the city

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

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some prestigious works

A new site for a new city

One city, three sites

A symbol for the town

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A colourful floor

New roads for Catania

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Two illustrious patron saints

The Maiolica of the staircase

The character of Badia Sant’Agata