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 the contrast of the exterior to the internal jubilation of colours

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A small room with a golden entrance

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A talking palace

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Staircase of Angels

A colourful floor

A long reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The city of museums

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A hall for the feasts

A museum to save a tradition

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Between white and black

Some masterpieces

One city, three sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new city

The internal colours

A new site for a new church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Discovering the mother church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Baroque town by the sea

Prominent façade

Modica, a city with ancient origins

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

An eagle-shaped city

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

The theatre of taste

The Burgos crucifix

Norman apses

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some prestigious works

The wall comes to life

The disastrous earthquake

A prominent church

The two churches

A square as the heart of the city

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

Searching for colour

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

A feast only for Scicli

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A symbol for the town

New roads for Catania

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A miniature city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A city in colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A triumph of colour

The church of Carmine

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A majestic and luminous church

The colours of the cathedral

Two illustrious patron saints

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

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feast days

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The interior and its masterpieces

The chocolate of Modica

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

Many owners, one palace

A new palace for the La Rocca lords