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 disastrous earthquake

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A colourful floor

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

New roads for Catania

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A talking palace

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Burgos crucifix

The Staircase of Angels

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The internal colours

The wall comes to life

Searching for colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The church of Carmine

From International Gothic to present day

One city, two sites

A new site for a new city

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A museum to save a tradition

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A symbol for the town

A triumph of colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A long reconstruction

The theatre of taste

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

A small room with a golden entrance

Discovering the mother church

Many owners, one palace

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Between white and black

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The two churches

A new site for a new church

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

One city, three sites

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Some masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A half-Baroque church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A feast only for Scicli

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

A miniature city

The city of museums

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The colours of the cathedral

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some prestigious works

A majestic and luminous church

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

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A city in colour

A hall for the feasts