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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

The disastrous earthquake

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A miniature city

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Two illustrious patron saints

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A symbol for the town

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A feast only for Scicli

New roads for Catania

A triumph of colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Searching for colour

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

The two churches

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The colours of the cathedral

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Wonderful quick decorations

One city, two sites

Discovering the mother church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Between white and black

A colourful floor

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The chocolate of Modica

The city of museums

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some masterpieces

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The interior and its masterpieces

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The theatre of taste

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A half-Baroque church

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

One city, three sites

Many owners, one palace

Prominent façade

A talking palace

Some prestigious works

From International Gothic to present day

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

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

Feast days

An eagle-shaped city

A museum to save a tradition

The internal colours

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

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

The church of Carmine

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

A majestic and luminous church

A small room with a golden entrance

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The Staircase of Angels

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town