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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A majestic and luminous church

Two illustrious patron saints

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Searching for colour

New roads for Catania

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Burgos crucifix

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

One city, three sites

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

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Wonderful quick decorations

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The city of museums

Some prestigious works

A city in colour

An eagle-shaped city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Baroque town by the sea

The internal colours

Some masterpieces

Many owners, one palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The two churches

A prominent church

A symbol for the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

A museum to save a tradition

The chocolate of Modica

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A long reconstruction

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Maiolica of the staircase

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

From International Gothic to present day

A square as the heart of the city

A talking palace

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Between white and black

The disastrous earthquake

A colourful floor

The Staircase of Angels

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

One city, two sites

A half-Baroque church

The colours of the cathedral

Feast days

A new site for a new church

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The wall comes to life

Feasting in Palazzolo

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

Discovering the mother church

A hall for the feasts

A feast only for Scicli

A new site for a new city

Norman apses

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A triumph of colour

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A miniature city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The church of Carmine