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 symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

Some masterpieces

The internal colours

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

New roads for Catania

A small room with a golden entrance

The Burgos crucifix

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The two churches

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A city in colour

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

One city, two sites

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The wall comes to life

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

A majestic and luminous church

A museum to save a tradition

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The city of museums

Norman apses

A hall for the feasts

A long reconstruction

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

The Baroque town by the sea

A talking palace

The Staircase of Angels

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Two illustrious patron saints

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One city, three sites

Searching for colour

An eagle-shaped city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The colours of the cathedral

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Many owners, one palace

A colourful floor

Between white and black

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A triumph of colour

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

The disastrous earthquake

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

The chocolate of Modica

Feasting in Palazzolo

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The theatre of taste

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A feast only for Scicli

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

A prominent church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Some prestigious works

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A half-Baroque church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Feast days

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The church of Carmine

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public