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

One city, two sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The church of Carmine

The disastrous earthquake

Wonderful quick decorations

The internal colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The colours of the cathedral

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feasting in Palazzolo

A majestic and luminous church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Some prestigious works

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Discovering the mother church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Two illustrious patron saints

The Burgos crucifix

A long reconstruction

One city, three sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A half-Baroque church

A triumph of colour

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

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

A feast only for Scicli

A miniature city

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The chocolate of Modica

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Norman apses

The Staircase of Angels

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

A symbol for the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A colourful floor

A prominent church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The two churches

A museum to save a tradition

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The theatre of taste

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Searching for colour

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new site for a new city

A city in colour

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

Feast days

A new site for a new church

A hall for the feasts

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The Baroque town by the sea

From International Gothic to present day

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some masterpieces

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The city of museums

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A talking palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Many owners, one palace

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Between white and black

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

New roads for Catania

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The wall comes to life

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century