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.

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

The Staircase of Angels

A long reconstruction

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A half-Baroque church

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

A square as the heart of the city

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

New roads for Catania

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

The wall comes to life

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Feast days

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Discovering the mother church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The city of museums

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Sebastian, so much work!

An eagle-shaped city

A new site for a new church

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The chocolate of Modica

The theatre of taste

A museum to save a tradition

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The church of Carmine

A majestic and luminous church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Feasting in Palazzolo

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The disastrous earthquake

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Maiolica of the staircase

A colourful floor

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A talking palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Between white and black

A city in colour

A prominent church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

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

One city, three sites

The colours of the cathedral

A symbol for the town

Wonderful quick decorations

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Searching for colour

A triumph of colour

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The interior and its masterpieces

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

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The internal colours

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A miniature city

Some prestigious works

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

One city, two sites

Some masterpieces

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Burgos crucifix

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A hall for the feasts

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

From International Gothic to present day