Modica

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

hearing
A small monumental organ

Organo santa maria del carmeloSongs and notes accompany the celebrations as they did centuries ago.
The organ is made of wood, small in size, and placed above the entrance. Made in the second half of the 18th century, it is one of the few still working.
The music of those who still know how to play the instrument enchants and accompanies the worshippers as they experience the moment of prayer more intensely, just like in the past.

touch
Watch what you paint on

Different materials, different techniques!
In order to paint on a canvas, panel or wall, an artist must master every technique. Painting on canvas means using a soft media with a fairly smooth surface.
Panels, like the one of St. Albert, are hard, made of wood and very irregular, and can have higher and lower sections. Finally, in order to fresco a wall, an artist must lay out an even base to achieve a smooth surface on which to place the colour.
For any painting to be successful, an artist must, therefore, have excellent knowledge of the technique and materials.

sight
A beautiful rose window

The church of Carmine is an example of medieval architecture where the central rose window is still intact.
The only one of its kind, it has a very unusual decoration.
Instead of the usual floral elements, the stonemason created mini-columns surmounted by small capitals, each one different from the other and ready to converge in the centre.
It is a wonderful piece of craftsmanship that demonstrates the skill of its unknown artist.

The wall comes to life

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From International Gothic to present day

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Staircase of Angels

A small room with a golden entrance

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The church of Carmine

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The colours of the cathedral

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Maiolica of the staircase

Some prestigious works

A hall for the feasts

The theatre of taste

Between white and black

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The disastrous earthquake

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Many owners, one palace

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Discovering the mother church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A half-Baroque church

The two churches

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

One city, two sites

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

A new site for a new city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some masterpieces

Norman apses

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A majestic and luminous church

An eagle-shaped city

A square as the heart of the city

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A miniature city

The interior and its masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Burgos crucifix

A new site for a new church

One city, three sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Baroque town by the sea

A prominent church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

New roads for Catania

Two illustrious patron saints

Prominent façade

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A colourful floor

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A talking palace

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A triumph of colour

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The chocolate of Modica

Feast days

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Searching for colour

The city of museums