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

Two illustrious patron saints

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Many owners, one palace

The Baroque town by the sea

An eagle-shaped city

A half-Baroque church

Norman apses

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The wall comes to life

The interior and its masterpieces

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Staircase of Angels

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A talking palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Between white and black

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

A long reconstruction

One city, two sites

From International Gothic to present day

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A prominent church

The Maiolica of the staircase

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The church of Carmine

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A symbol for the town

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

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Some masterpieces

A miniature city

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A square as the heart of the city

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Searching for colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

New roads for Catania

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some prestigious works

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Burgos crucifix

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A new site for a new church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feast days

The theatre of taste

A city in colour

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

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The internal colours

Discovering the mother church

The city of museums

One city, three sites

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A colourful floor

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The chocolate of Modica

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A feast only for Scicli

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A museum to save a tradition

The colours of the cathedral

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new city

The two churches

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A hall for the feasts

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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