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

Some prestigious works

The interior and its masterpieces

Between white and black

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The wall comes to life

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

A square as the heart of the city

A triumph of colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The colours of the cathedral

Feasting in Palazzolo

The church of Carmine

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A hall for the feasts

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A colourful floor

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A miniature city

A small room with a golden entrance

Many owners, one palace

The theatre of taste

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A majestic and luminous church

The Baroque town by the sea

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

New roads for Catania

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

A museum to save a tradition

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The chocolate of Modica

Discovering the mother church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

One city, three sites

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Norman apses

The Burgos crucifix

Feast days

From International Gothic to present day

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

The Staircase of Angels

A long reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The city of museums

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Wonderful quick decorations

One city, two sites

A new site for a new city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Prominent façade

A feast only for Scicli

The disastrous earthquake

A city in colour

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Maiolica of the staircase

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Some masterpieces

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The two churches

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Searching for colour

Two illustrious patron saints

A half-Baroque church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The internal colours

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

A new site for a new church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A prominent church

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers