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 façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A prominent church

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

A miniature city

The colours of the cathedral

A colourful floor

A symbol for the town

The Maiolica of the staircase

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

A museum to save a tradition

A talking palace

Norman apses

A square as the heart of the city

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The interior and its masterpieces

The Burgos crucifix

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The theatre of taste

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

One city, two sites

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

Prominent façade

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new church

New roads for Catania

Wonderful quick decorations

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

The city of museums

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The two churches

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Between white and black

The Baroque town by the sea

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A feast only for Scicli

The internal colours

A new site for a new city

One city, three sites

Modica, a city with ancient origins

From International Gothic to present day

The chocolate of Modica

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A majestic and luminous church

A city in colour

Some prestigious works

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A long reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Two illustrious patron saints

A triumph of colour

Some masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Many owners, one palace

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The disastrous earthquake

An eagle-shaped city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feast days

Discovering the mother church