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

Searching for colour

The Burgos crucifix

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Some prestigious works

The wall comes to life

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

A triumph of colour

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Feast days

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The church of Carmine

One city, two sites

An eagle-shaped city

A colourful floor

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

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

A half-Baroque church

A symbol for the town

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A talking palace

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Between white and black

The two churches

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Baroque town by the sea

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

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The chocolate of Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

A new site for a new church

A prominent church

A city in colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The internal colours

A new site for a new city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A small room with a golden entrance

A long reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Wonderful quick decorations

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Prominent façade

The theatre of taste

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

New roads for Catania

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A museum to save a tradition

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Many owners, one palace

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A majestic and luminous church

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The city of museums

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, three sites

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The disastrous earthquake

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A hall for the feasts

The interior and its masterpieces

A square as the heart of the city

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A feast only for Scicli

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

The colours of the cathedral

Two illustrious patron saints

The Staircase of Angels