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 senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A miniature city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A half-Baroque church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

One city, three sites

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Wonderful quick decorations

A city in colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A new site for a new church

A triumph of colour

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Discovering the mother church

A square as the heart of the city

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

Some masterpieces

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

From International Gothic to present day

The theatre of taste

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

The wall comes to life

The colours of the cathedral

Norman apses

The two churches

The city of museums

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A talking palace

The interior and its masterpieces

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Feast days

A new site for a new city

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A hall for the feasts

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Searching for colour

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The chocolate of Modica

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

A museum to save a tradition

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A majestic and luminous church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A symbol for the town

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Many owners, one palace

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

An eagle-shaped city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Burgos crucifix

A small room with a golden entrance

One city, two sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The internal colours

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The disastrous earthquake

New roads for Catania

A colourful floor

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Some prestigious works

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

A prominent church

The Baroque town by the sea

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Prominent façade

Feasting in Palazzolo