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.

One city, two sites

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A miniature city

A new site for a new church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

New roads for Catania

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

A long reconstruction

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

A new site for a new city

A city in colour

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

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

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

A museum to save a tradition

Norman apses

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The colours of the cathedral

The chocolate of Modica

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The wall comes to life

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The two churches

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

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Discovering the mother church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Baroque town by the sea

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

An eagle-shaped city

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Between white and black

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The city of museums

The Maiolica of the staircase

The façade used as a puppet theatre

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A hall for the feasts

One city, three sites

A symbol for the town

A talking palace

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A triumph of colour

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The internal colours

Some prestigious works

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feast days

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Staircase of Angels

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The church of Carmine

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Prominent façade

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A colourful floor

The theatre of taste

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Wonderful quick decorations

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A feast only for Scicli

The Burgos crucifix

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Searching for colour

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours