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

Some masterpieces

The city of museums

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Two illustrious patron saints

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

An eagle-shaped city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A hall for the feasts

The theatre of taste

Wonderful quick decorations

The two churches

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Staircase of Angels

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

Feast days

The chocolate of Modica

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Between white and black

From International Gothic to present day

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Discovering the mother church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Baroque town by the sea

Norman apses

A museum to save a tradition

A colourful floor

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

One city, two sites

A miniature city

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The disastrous earthquake

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A half-Baroque church

Searching for colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feasting in Palazzolo

A triumph of colour

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

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

A feast only for Scicli

Some prestigious works

The Maiolica of the staircase

A talking palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The church of Carmine

A new site for a new church

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A majestic and luminous church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The interior and its masterpieces

New roads for Catania

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

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

The internal colours

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The colours of the cathedral

One city, three sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A long reconstruction

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

A city in colour

A symbol for the town

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The wall comes to life

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca