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

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The wall comes to life

Prominent façade

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

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

The colours of the cathedral

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A majestic and luminous church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A museum to save a tradition

The chocolate of Modica

Searching for colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Many owners, one palace

The interior and its masterpieces

A colourful floor

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The theatre of taste

The Burgos crucifix

Feasting in Palazzolo

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A hall for the feasts

A city in colour

A triumph of colour

Discovering the mother church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A prominent church

The city of museums

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

One city, three sites

A small room with a golden entrance

One city, two sites

A miniature city

A half-Baroque church

A long reconstruction

Feast days

Two illustrious patron saints

The two churches

The Staircase of Angels

An eagle-shaped city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

A new site for a new city

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

The church of Carmine

Wonderful quick decorations

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Some masterpieces

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

Limestone, the colour of harmony

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A square as the heart of the city

Between white and black

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Some prestigious works

The internal colours

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

From International Gothic to present day

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

New roads for Catania

A symbol for the town

Norman apses

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century