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 Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Feast days

The Staircase of Angels

A square as the heart of the city

From International Gothic to present day

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The interior and its masterpieces

A miniature city

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Discovering the mother church

Between white and black

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The colours of the cathedral

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A feast only for Scicli

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The wall comes to life

A new site for a new church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The internal colours

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

The theatre of taste

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The city of museums

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Norman apses

One city, three sites

A long reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Prominent façade

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

The chocolate of Modica

The Burgos crucifix

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A museum to save a tradition

An eagle-shaped city

Some masterpieces

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A majestic and luminous church

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

One city, two sites

A hall for the feasts

Searching for colour

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Some prestigious works

New roads for Catania

A prominent church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A colourful floor

Many owners, one palace

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

A triumph of colour

The church of Carmine

A symbol for the town

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A talking palace

A half-Baroque church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A small room with a golden entrance

The disastrous earthquake

Feasting in Palazzolo