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

Feasting in Palazzolo

The colours of the cathedral

The disastrous earthquake

An eagle-shaped city

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

Between white and black

The Burgos crucifix

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Searching for colour

Connections with other UNESCO sites

One city, two sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A square as the heart of the city

Norman apses

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A triumph of colour

A city in colour

A museum to save a tradition

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The theatre of taste

A feast only for Scicli

A new site for a new church

Feast days

Wonderful quick decorations

A half-Baroque church

A small room with a golden entrance

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Some prestigious works

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A long reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Many owners, one palace

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The two churches

The internal colours

A talking palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

One city, three sites

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A colourful floor

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The church of Carmine

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

The interior and its masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

New roads for Catania

Discovering the mother church

A majestic and luminous church

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The wall comes to life

Prominent façade

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

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

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Staircase of Angels

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

A prominent church