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 Badia di Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

Wonderful quick decorations

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Many owners, one palace

The chocolate of Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, two sites

A colourful floor

Some masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Discovering the mother church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

A half-Baroque church

A museum to save a tradition

A city in colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

The colours of the cathedral

An eagle-shaped city

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

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

The Staircase of Angels

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A symbol for the town

A new site for a new city

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The disastrous earthquake

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Burgos crucifix

A small room with a golden entrance

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Norman apses

Prominent façade

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A prominent church

The wall comes to life

The two churches

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

The theatre of taste

A talking palace

From International Gothic to present day

The interior and its masterpieces

Between white and black

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Feasting in Palazzolo

The city of museums

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

A new site for a new church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A miniature city

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

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

A long reconstruction

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Baroque town by the sea

A triumph of colour

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feast days

Some prestigious works

A Nobel Prize in Modica

New roads for Catania

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Searching for colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A hall for the feasts

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, three sites

The church of Carmine

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe