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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A majestic and luminous church

Feast days

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A hall for the feasts

The façade used as a puppet theatre

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The disastrous earthquake

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A symbol for the town

A talking palace

A new site for a new church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Searching for colour

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

Prominent façade

A miniature city

The two churches

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

The church of Carmine

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A feast only for Scicli

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Some masterpieces

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A museum to save a tradition

A triumph of colour

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Staircase of Angels

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

Between white and black

A colourful floor

Connections with other UNESCO sites

One city, three sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

The wall comes to life

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The colours of the cathedral

Two illustrious patron saints

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The city of museums

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The internal colours

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Some prestigious works

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

The theatre of taste

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Discovering the mother church

The Burgos crucifix

The Maiolica of the staircase

A long reconstruction

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The chocolate of Modica

New roads for Catania

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Wonderful quick decorations

A square as the heart of the city

A half-Baroque church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A city in colour

A small room with a golden entrance

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

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The interior and its masterpieces

From International Gothic to present day

Feasting in Palazzolo

An eagle-shaped city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?