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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

Two illustrious patron saints

A small room with a golden entrance

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The wall comes to life

The chocolate of Modica

Wonderful quick decorations

The internal colours

A prominent church

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Discovering the mother church

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A miniature city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A museum to save a tradition

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

A long reconstruction

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The two churches

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Limestone, the colour of harmony

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A majestic and luminous church

Feasting in Palazzolo

Norman apses

A new site for a new church

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

A symbol for the town

Searching for colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The interior and its masterpieces

Many owners, one palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A hall for the feasts

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Between white and black

The disastrous earthquake

From International Gothic to present day

Feast days

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The theatre of taste

The colours of the cathedral

A triumph of colour

The city of museums

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

New roads for Catania

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A half-Baroque church

The Baroque town by the sea

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

One city, two sites

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A colourful floor

Some masterpieces

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A feast only for Scicli

A square as the heart of the city

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

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The church of Carmine

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

One city, three sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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