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 square as the heart of the city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

New roads for Catania

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

Norman apses

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

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

The two churches

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Searching for colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A small room with a golden entrance

A new site for a new city

A new site for a new church

The Maiolica of the staircase

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The church of Carmine

The internal colours

Two illustrious patron saints

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

A long reconstruction

An eagle-shaped city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A colourful floor

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Staircase of Angels

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Some prestigious works

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The interior and its masterpieces

A half-Baroque church

Feasting in Palazzolo

A symbol for the town

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Between white and black

A miniature city

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

A talking palace

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Prominent façade

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A museum to save a tradition

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

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

A prominent church

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

A triumph of colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Discovering the mother church

One city, two sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

The colours of the cathedral

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A feast only for Scicli

The Burgos crucifix

From International Gothic to present day

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Feast days

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Wonderful quick decorations

A majestic and luminous church

The theatre of taste

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A city in colour

The Baroque town by the sea

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The city of museums

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara