Modica

From International Gothic to present day

interno chiesa dall’ingresso verso l’altareThe interior of the church of Carmine features a classic Sicilian maiolica floor paired with a snow white wall with some architectural elements in relief such as capitals , arches, columns and the trabeation .
Their combination produces plays of light and shadow, achieved thanks to the rays of sunlight filtering through the windows. The altars, paintings such as the panel of St. Albert and the sculptural complex of the Annunciation add colour to and illuminate the church of Carmine. The white wooden structure behind the main altar is wonderful, embellished with golden stuccoes in the centre of which is the Madonna and Child.
foto dettaglio trabeazione foto dettaglio trabeazione
An astonishing discovery was made a few years ago: to the right of the apse , hidden in the wall, was the entrance to a side chapel of medieval, late-Gothic times. Traces remain of its ancient decoration and the funerary room beneath the floor.
struttura dietro l’altare

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Some masterpieces

A small room with a golden entrance

The wall comes to life

The Staircase of Angels

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

A symbol for the town

The two churches

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

A new site for a new church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

New roads for Catania

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A square as the heart of the city

The chocolate of Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A prominent church

The colours of the cathedral

The theatre of taste

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

One city, three sites

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Between white and black

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A talking palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Many owners, one palace

Norman apses

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

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

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

A hall for the feasts

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A city in colour

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Feast days

Searching for colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The city of museums

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The church of Carmine

The disastrous earthquake

A half-Baroque church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

A museum to save a tradition

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A feast only for Scicli

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A majestic and luminous church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Burgos crucifix

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

A long reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some prestigious works

A triumph of colour

One city, two sites

Prominent façade

Two illustrious patron saints

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours