Modica

Some prestigious works

Inside the church there are valuable works of art including the Tavola di Sant’Alberto (Panel of St. Albert), the Madonna del Latte and the Annunciation. The former was perhaps part of a polyptych, a painting composition that also included other panels.
The painting depicts St. Albert with a lily and a book in one hand and a crucifix in the other. The work dates back to the early 16th century. According to some scholars the panel was painted between 1513 and 1517 by Leonardo da Vinci’s student, Cesare de Sesto, when he lived in Sicily.
The Madonna del Latte is an interesting sculpture made of papier-mâché, a much more delicate material than classic marble, wood or bronze. The work dates from around the 14th century and is located to the right of the church atrium.
scultura Madonna del Latte tela santa maria maddalena
The Annunciation is a sculptural group in white marble, created by the workshop of a Palermo-born artist, Giandomenico Gagini.
The faces of the angel and the Virgin were carved with extreme delicateness and both the blue dress of Mary and the angel’s hair were finely coloured.

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

One city, three sites

Prominent façade

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

The two churches

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Some prestigious works

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

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Staircase of Angels

A city in colour

The internal colours

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A square as the heart of the city

A new site for a new church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A half-Baroque church

A long reconstruction

A triumph of colour

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Maiolica of the staircase

The church of Carmine

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Norman apses

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Burgos crucifix

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The chocolate of Modica

From International Gothic to present day

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A colourful floor

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A symbol for the town

A small room with a golden entrance

A hall for the feasts

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A miniature city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Feast days

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

Discovering the mother church

New roads for Catania

A new site for a new city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A talking palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, two sites

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The interior and its masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

Many owners, one palace

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

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A prominent church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A feast only for Scicli

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

An eagle-shaped city

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The colours of the cathedral