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 city in colour

One city, two sites

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The two churches

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

The theatre of taste

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A square as the heart of the city

A museum to save a tradition

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

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

Discovering the mother church

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

The Burgos crucifix

A hall for the feasts

The disastrous earthquake

Between white and black

The façade used as a puppet theatre

An eagle-shaped city

A talking palace

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

A majestic and luminous church

A miniature city

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A long reconstruction

Some prestigious works

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

One city, three sites

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

The wall comes to life

A feast only for Scicli

The city of museums

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

Some masterpieces

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The interior and its masterpieces

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Wonderful quick decorations

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A prominent church

The Staircase of Angels

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The chocolate of Modica

The church of Carmine

Many owners, one palace

From International Gothic to present day

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A colourful floor

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 the Annunciation

A new site for a new church

Feast days

Two illustrious patron saints

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The internal colours

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

New roads for Catania

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A symbol for the town

A half-Baroque church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

A triumph of colour