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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The church of Carmine

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

One city, three sites

Norman apses

New roads for Catania

A new site for a new church

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A talking palace

The disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Some masterpieces

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The wall comes to life

A symbol for the town

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A majestic and luminous church

An eagle-shaped city

A hall for the feasts

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Between white and black

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

A miniature city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A half-Baroque church

The city of museums

A square as the heart of the city

The theatre of taste

A feast only for Scicli

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A triumph of colour

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A colourful floor

The two churches

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Prominent façade

The interior and its masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A prominent church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Searching for colour

Discovering the mother church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A new site for a new city

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

A city in colour

The internal colours

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

The Staircase of Angels

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A long reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica

Some prestigious works

Feast days

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

From International Gothic to present day

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

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A museum to save a tradition

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Burgos crucifix

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The colours of the cathedral

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

One city, two sites

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