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.

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The disastrous earthquake

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some prestigious works

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

A city in colour

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The colours of the cathedral

New roads for Catania

A miniature city

Norman apses

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Burgos crucifix

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Searching for colour

The chocolate of Modica

The two churches

One city, two sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A triumph of colour

The wall comes to life

Discovering the mother church

One city, three sites

Feast days

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A small room with a golden entrance

A hall for the feasts

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The internal colours

Two illustrious patron saints

A symbol for the town

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The church of Carmine

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The theatre of taste

Many owners, one palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new site for a new church

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

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

The city of museums

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Modica, a city with ancient origins

From International Gothic to present day

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A feast only for Scicli

A majestic and luminous church

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Between white and black

A talking palace

The Baroque town by the sea

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Some masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A long reconstruction

A prominent church

A colourful floor

A museum to save a tradition