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 city in colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

One city, three sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Wonderful quick decorations

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

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

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

The internal colours

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

Some prestigious works

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A long reconstruction

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A talking palace

The city of museums

The interior and its masterpieces

A new site for a new church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A feast only for Scicli

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

An eagle-shaped city

A museum to save a tradition

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Some masterpieces

From International Gothic to present day

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A symbol for the town

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

A prominent church

The disastrous earthquake

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The colours of the cathedral

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Feast days

The theatre of taste

The church of Carmine

The two churches

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A majestic and luminous church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new site for a new city

The Burgos crucifix

One city, two sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

New roads for Catania

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Discovering the mother church

A colourful floor

A small room with a golden entrance

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

A hall for the feasts

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A half-Baroque church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Searching for colour

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Between white and black

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Many owners, one palace

A triumph of colour

The Staircase of Angels

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The Baroque town by the sea

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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