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

Two illustrious patron saints

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The two churches

A half-Baroque church

Many owners, one palace

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

From International Gothic to present day

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Some masterpieces

A prominent church

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A colourful floor

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

A talking palace

A hall for the feasts

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Discovering the mother church

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, three sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A triumph of colour

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Staircase of Angels

A long reconstruction

A symbol for the town

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A square as the heart of the city

A feast only for Scicli

The city of museums

A new site for a new city

The theatre of taste

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Prominent façade

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A majestic and luminous church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The church of Carmine

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feast days

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Searching for colour

A museum to save a tradition

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The disastrous earthquake

The internal colours

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A city in colour

Norman apses

The wall comes to life

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Baroque town by the sea

The chocolate of Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Wonderful quick decorations

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

A miniature city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The colours of the cathedral

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A small room with a golden entrance

New roads for Catania

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso