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

Between white and black

A hall for the feasts

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Norman apses

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

New roads for Catania

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

The colours of the cathedral

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

An eagle-shaped city

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A prominent church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

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

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

Some prestigious works

One city, two sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The two churches

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Feast days

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new site for a new church

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

One city, three sites

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The chocolate of Modica

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The disastrous earthquake

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A city in colour

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Searching for colour

Many owners, one palace

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

A colourful floor

A feast only for Scicli

The interior and its masterpieces

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The church of Carmine

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A triumph of colour

A half-Baroque church

The Burgos crucifix

A museum to save a tradition

A miniature city

A square as the heart of the city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A symbol for the town

The city of museums

The theatre of taste

The Staircase of Angels

A talking palace

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new city

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Wonderful quick decorations

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Prominent façade

A majestic and luminous church

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata