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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

A museum to save a tradition

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Some masterpieces

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Staircase of Angels

A feast only for Scicli

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new church

A new site for a new city

Two illustrious patron saints

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A hall for the feasts

New roads for Catania

Norman apses

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The Burgos crucifix

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

A colourful floor

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

Searching for colour

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Many owners, one palace

Some prestigious works

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Wonderful quick decorations

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The wall comes to life

The Maiolica of the staircase

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Discovering the mother church

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Prominent façade

A half-Baroque church

A triumph of colour

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A talking palace

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The city of museums

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

A miniature city

The church of Carmine

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

One city, three sites

The theatre of taste

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The two churches

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The interior and its masterpieces

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

The chocolate of Modica

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

A long reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feast days

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

A symbol for the town

Between white and black