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 about Palazzo Nicolaci

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Prominent façade

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Two illustrious patron saints

Searching for colour

A hall for the feasts

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A square as the heart of the city

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

The two churches

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The internal colours

A feast only for Scicli

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The wall comes to life

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

Between white and black

The church of Carmine

New roads for Catania

A small room with a golden entrance

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A colourful floor

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

An eagle-shaped city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The theatre of taste

Norman apses

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The interior and its masterpieces

The city of museums

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

A half-Baroque church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A museum to save a tradition

Feasting in Palazzolo

The disastrous earthquake

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Maiolica of the staircase

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A symbol for the town

The Burgos crucifix

Some prestigious works

From International Gothic to present day

A prominent church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Feast days

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A miniature city

Some masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Many owners, one palace

The Staircase of Angels

A majestic and luminous church

One city, three sites

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

A talking palace

One city, two sites

A triumph of colour

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The chocolate of Modica

The colours of the cathedral

A long reconstruction

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Wonderful quick decorations

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

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata