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.

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

An eagle-shaped city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

A museum to save a tradition

A colourful floor

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The disastrous earthquake

Some prestigious works

The façade used as a puppet theatre

One city, three sites

The church of Carmine

From International Gothic to present day

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

New roads for Catania

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

The two churches

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A miniature city

Prominent façade

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

A majestic and luminous church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The interior and its masterpieces

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Between white and black

A new site for a new church

Discovering the mother church

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A hall for the feasts

A prominent church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Norman apses

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Searching for colour

A half-Baroque church

The Staircase of Angels

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The internal colours

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

A city in colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The city of museums

A symbol for the town

One city, two sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A triumph of colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A square as the heart of the city

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

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

The Burgos crucifix

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Wonderful quick decorations

Feast days

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A new site for a new city

A feast only for Scicli

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

The Maiolica of the staircase

Two illustrious patron saints

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers