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

The city of museums

Many owners, one palace

A long reconstruction

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

The wall comes to life

A colourful floor

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A prominent church

A symbol for the town

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The church of Carmine

A museum to save a tradition

The Baroque town by the sea

A talking palace

A new site for a new church

Discovering the mother church

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

New roads for Catania

The internal colours

The Maiolica of the staircase

Norman apses

A half-Baroque church

A miniature city

A feast only for Scicli

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feasting in Palazzolo

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

A triumph of colour

Feast days

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

An eagle-shaped city

The disastrous earthquake

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some prestigious works

The Staircase of Angels

The colours of the cathedral

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The theatre of taste

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

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

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The two churches

Modica, a city with ancient origins

From International Gothic to present day

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A hall for the feasts

A square as the heart of the city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Burgos crucifix

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The interior and its masterpieces

Connections with other UNESCO sites

One city, three sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Prominent façade

Between white and black

Wonderful quick decorations

A majestic and luminous church

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A new site for a new city

The chocolate of Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, two sites

A small room with a golden entrance

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?