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 staircase of Santa Maria del Monte

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The chocolate of Modica

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

A long reconstruction

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The interior and its masterpieces

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, two sites

Wonderful quick decorations

The theatre of taste

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A hall for the feasts

A feast only for Scicli

A symbol for the town

A miniature city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The church of Carmine

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The internal colours

Searching for colour

A talking palace

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Maiolica of the staircase

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

An eagle-shaped city

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A square as the heart of the city

A small room with a golden entrance

A city in colour

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

St. Sebastian, so much work!

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

New roads for Catania

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The city of museums

Modica, a city with ancient origins

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Feasting in Palazzolo

From International Gothic to present day

Norman apses

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Many owners, one palace

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The Burgos crucifix

The wall comes to life

The two churches

Some prestigious works

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Feast days

Between white and black

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new site for a new church

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

A prominent church

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

Discovering the mother church

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The colours of the cathedral

A museum to save a tradition

A half-Baroque church

Prominent façade

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The disastrous earthquake

A colourful floor