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.

One city, three sites

The internal colours

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A prominent church

A hall for the feasts

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Wonderful quick decorations

An eagle-shaped city

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The disastrous earthquake

The Burgos crucifix

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

Discovering the mother church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new site for a new church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Baroque town by the sea

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The church of Carmine

Many owners, one palace

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A majestic and luminous church

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Limestone, the colour of harmony

One city, two sites

The interior and its masterpieces

A talking palace

Between white and black

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The theatre of taste

The wall comes to life

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

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The two churches

A museum to save a tradition

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The city of museums

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A city in colour

A small room with a golden entrance

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

Searching for colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A half-Baroque church

A colourful floor

A square as the heart of the city

Some prestigious works

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Prominent façade

Norman apses

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

The colours of the cathedral

A miniature city

Some masterpieces

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

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

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

From International Gothic to present day

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

A symbol for the town

A triumph of colour

A long reconstruction

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

New roads for Catania

The Maiolica of the staircase

A feast only for Scicli

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom