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.

A square as the heart of the city

Some prestigious works

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

The internal colours

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Norman apses

The wall comes to life

A feast only for Scicli

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

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

One city, three sites

Prominent façade

Wonderful quick decorations

A museum to save a tradition

The colours of the cathedral

The two churches

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Baroque town by the sea

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A majestic and luminous church

Two illustrious patron saints

Many owners, one palace

An eagle-shaped city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Some masterpieces

Feast days

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

A city in colour

The Staircase of Angels

A long reconstruction

A talking palace

From International Gothic to present day

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The chocolate of Modica

A prominent church

A new site for a new church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The Burgos crucifix

A triumph of colour

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The church of Carmine

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A colourful floor

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The city of museums

New roads for Catania

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, two sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Searching for colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The interior and its masterpieces

A hall for the feasts

A small room with a golden entrance

A half-Baroque church

A symbol for the town

Between white and black

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Feasting in Palazzolo