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 Badia di Sant’Agata

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feasting in Palazzolo

A city in colour

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Discovering the mother church

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A talking palace

Wonderful quick decorations

The Burgos crucifix

Prominent façade

The Staircase of Angels

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

One city, three sites

Norman apses

The church of Carmine

A miniature city

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new site for a new city

The city of museums

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A symbol for the town

A majestic and luminous church

The chocolate of Modica

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

New roads for Catania

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A long reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A triumph of colour

A small room with a golden entrance

An eagle-shaped city

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

From International Gothic to present day

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The disastrous earthquake

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The wall comes to life

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some prestigious works

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The internal colours

The two churches

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Between white and black

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Two illustrious patron saints

A prominent church

One city, two sites

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Searching for colour

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

A colourful floor

A half-Baroque church

The colours of the cathedral

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords