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 long reconstruction

A new site for a new city

One city, three sites

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Prominent façade

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The internal colours

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Staircase of Angels

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Baroque town by the sea

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Between white and black

Feasting in Palazzolo

The two churches

A hall for the feasts

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The city of museums

A small room with a golden entrance

A miniature city

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The colours of the cathedral

A prominent church

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

One city, two sites

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From International Gothic to present day

Norman apses

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

A half-Baroque church

The theatre of taste

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

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

Some prestigious works

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A new site for a new church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

An eagle-shaped city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Searching for colour

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

The disastrous earthquake

A square as the heart of the city

Feast days

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The interior and its masterpieces

The wall comes to life

New roads for Catania

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

A museum to save a tradition

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Some masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

A triumph of colour

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Burgos crucifix

A city in colour

A feast only for Scicli

Wonderful quick decorations