Modica

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

hearing
A small monumental organ

Organo santa maria del carmeloSongs and notes accompany the celebrations as they did centuries ago.
The organ is made of wood, small in size, and placed above the entrance. Made in the second half of the 18th century, it is one of the few still working.
The music of those who still know how to play the instrument enchants and accompanies the worshippers as they experience the moment of prayer more intensely, just like in the past.

touch
Watch what you paint on

Different materials, different techniques!
In order to paint on a canvas, panel or wall, an artist must master every technique. Painting on canvas means using a soft media with a fairly smooth surface.
Panels, like the one of St. Albert, are hard, made of wood and very irregular, and can have higher and lower sections. Finally, in order to fresco a wall, an artist must lay out an even base to achieve a smooth surface on which to place the colour.
For any painting to be successful, an artist must, therefore, have excellent knowledge of the technique and materials.

sight
A beautiful rose window

The church of Carmine is an example of medieval architecture where the central rose window is still intact.
The only one of its kind, it has a very unusual decoration.
Instead of the usual floral elements, the stonemason created mini-columns surmounted by small capitals, each one different from the other and ready to converge in the centre.
It is a wonderful piece of craftsmanship that demonstrates the skill of its unknown artist.

A hall for the feasts

A talking palace

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The disastrous earthquake

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

A colourful floor

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A city in colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A triumph of colour

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The interior and its masterpieces

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A long reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Discovering the mother church

The Staircase of Angels

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

One city, two sites

A feast only for Scicli

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A symbol for the town

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Baroque town by the sea

New roads for Catania

The internal colours

A small room with a golden entrance

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

Some masterpieces

Prominent façade

Feast days

Some prestigious works

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A new site for a new city

Between white and black

Many owners, one palace

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

A museum to save a tradition

A majestic and luminous church

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, three sites

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The city of museums

A miniature city

A half-Baroque church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Wonderful quick decorations

The Maiolica of the staircase

An eagle-shaped city

The church of Carmine

Searching for colour

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