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Modica

Modica, a baroque jewel in the province of Ragusa, is a city with a noble history and was the old capital of the shire. Modica is famous all over the world for its chocolate produced by an ancient Aztec recipe. The city is subdivided in Modica Alta and Modica Bassa, and after during the ’60 was added the new district called Sacro Cuore, or traditionally “Sorda”. The old town will enchant you with his last eighty century palaces, baroque palaces and wonderful churches that are placed on the side of the hill.
At 20 km from the urban centre, you could dive into the sea of Marina di Modica.

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What to see in Modica

The Castel of Earl of Modica is an ancient fort and was also an important place strictly linked with the politics of Modica and his history. Inside the area of the castle, there is a Clocktower, built in 1725 and operated about every 24 hours. It is entirely mechanical, and his gears still work perfectly: not for nothing, it is one of more appreciated and photographed monuments of Modica. The Chiesa Madre di San Giorgio was built after the earthquake and it is adorned with a mighty stairway of 250 steps that lead you to the magnificent front. Inside is subdivided into 5 aisles and contains 22 columns with the Corinthian order, in addition to be entirely enriched by high value paints and with the great organ of eighty century, and it work perfectly in nowadays.

The Duomo di San Pietro is another magnific example of Baroque, with the interior subdivided in 3 aisles, with the floor made up of white marble and black tar and vaults covered by frescoes.
Like the Church of San Giorgio, is characterized by the front stairway.
The Chiesetta di San Nicolò Inferiore is very suggestive, it is considered the oldest church in Modica, because it was built during the High Middle Age, representing one of the most significant form of cave art of Oriental Sicily. The church is carved into the rock and at the inside there are signs of traditional byzantine iconography. Into the decorations are evident a lot of marks which highlights the transformation from the Greek tradition to the Latin one.

The Chiesa del Carmine with its convent/monastery dates back to 1500 , and of the same period is its still standing portal in Late Gothic style. The inside, with only one aisle, presents some high-value paints and a splendid wooden altar with decoration made of stucco.

The Convento dei Mercenari is now the seat of two museums: The Civic museum, where are even collected many Palaeolithic’s records, and the Popular Arts and Traditions Museu, an authentic document of real life and activity of Modica’s Past.
Very charming is also the visit to the birthplace of Salvatore Quasimodo, Nobel prize-winning for literature. Inside the house is still present the original furniture with the same pattern organized/displaced by the author.

Modica will reserve you amazing surprises, we have just spoiled you only a few of them!

Find out more:

Modica is reachable usually by car following the SS115 (Strada Statale 115).

The airport of Comiso is the nearest to us and the airport of Catania is easy to reach.

Duomo di San Giorgio
Duomo di San Pietro
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Gesù
Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista
Palazzo della Cultura e Museo Civico
Chiesa del Carmine
Convento del Carmine
Chiesa di San Domenico, ex convento e Cripta
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Betlem con preesistente Cappella Palatina
Portale de Leva
Convento dei Cappuccini e chiesa di San Francesco
Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie
Palazzo Polara
Palazzo Napolino-Tommasi Rosso
Casa natale del poeta Quasimodo
Palazzo degli Studi
Teatro Garibaldi
La stagione teatrale
Palazzo Grimaldi con Pinacoteca
Architetture militari
Castello dei Conti di Modica
Torretta dell’Orologio
Chiesa rupestre di San Nicolò Inferiore
Cava Ispica
Cava Lazzaro
Cava dei Servi

Madonna Vasa-Vasa (Easter’s morning)

Festa del Patrono San Giorgio (23rd of April if it is Sunday, or the following Sunday)

Eurochocolate – ChocoBarocco (in Spring)
Settimana Quasimodiana (the
week which include the 20th of August)

Sagra del carrubo (in Frigintini, in September or October)

Presepe Vivente (Christmas festivity)

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