MUST SEE /
Buildings and Monuments
Buildings and Monuments
The historical period of the Sicilian Baroque left majestic Buildings and monuments such as the clock tower, symbol of noble county of Modica.
If Modica is called "the city of a hundred churches" for the large number of religious buildings, no less important is the presence of majestic palaces and baroque monuments that make the streets of the old town a sort of open-air museum.
Going up the Corso Umberto, the imposing clock tower stands high on the hill, located on the ruins of the ancient Castle of the Counts, reflecting the prosperity and wealth that the county has had since the thirteenth century. The large mechanical counterweight clock, still fully functional, whose complex mechanisms are checked and restarted every 24 hours, was placed on the ruins of a post-earthquake watchtower medieval castle in 1725. The interior of the tower is open only on certain occasions and is characterized by large metal springs, checks and balances, thick ropes and chains. The clock tower has always been considered the "symbol" of the ancient noble city of Modica, it is perhaps the most photographed monument of the city. Also in Modica Bassa you can admire the Palazzo De Leva, one of the most picturesque in the province, whose portal, from the early fourteenth century, is a fine example of the Gothic from Chiaramonte which then dominated as style in Sicily throughout the fourteenth century. Among the most significant pieces of evidence of late-Baroque in Modica is the Palazzo Napolino-Tommasi Rosso, which is located in the heart of the old quarter of Francavilla, behind the Cathedral of St. George. Its front side, defines the most elegant Baroque civil architecture of Modica, and includes a beautiful portal, the columns of which the sides leave off the elegant curtains set in stone.
The Palazzo degli Studi (1610 - 1630) was actually the Convent of the Jesuits, who since their settlement in the structure made it the College where the scions of the aristocracy of Modica were instructed. Built at the behest of the Countess Vittoria Colonna de Cabrera, the building has, since 1878, been the seat of the High School named after the scientist and philosopher Tommaso Campailla from Modica.
Teatro Garibaldi deserves special mention, a real jewel in small, since it copies in miniature theatres in large cities, with its audience, its three very elegant tiers of boxes, the gallery, the once storied with a magnificent painting. Its first building was built between 1815 and 1820, with the original name of Teatro Real Ferdinandeo in honor of the reigning era. After restoration and safety measures, it was reopened to the public in 2004. The front side is definitely art nouveau (or neoclassical), with two floors topped by a balustrade which has a central panel decorated with sculptural musical instruments. Above the panel a clock was placed, supported by two male figures, topped with an eagle, the symbol of the County of Modica. It was inaugurated in 1857 with La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.
Also along Corso Umberto, a few dozen metres from the Cathedral of St. Peter, there is another impressive building, Palazzo Grimaldi, which is, perhaps, the finest example of neo-Renaissance style buildings among those that overlook the historic centre of Modica Bassa . In its rooms there is an important art gallery, full of paintings by the most famous artists of the second half of the nineteenth century in the Iblean area to this day. No less impressive is Palazzo Polara, with its splendid Baroque architecture, introduced by an elegant flight of steps, and the Palazzo de 'Mercedari, attached to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace, which was a former convent of the Mercedari used as a hospital during the plague of 1709.
Going up the Corso Umberto, the imposing clock tower stands high on the hill, located on the ruins of the ancient Castle of the Counts, reflecting the prosperity and wealth that the county has had since the thirteenth century. The large mechanical counterweight clock, still fully functional, whose complex mechanisms are checked and restarted every 24 hours, was placed on the ruins of a post-earthquake watchtower medieval castle in 1725. The interior of the tower is open only on certain occasions and is characterized by large metal springs, checks and balances, thick ropes and chains. The clock tower has always been considered the "symbol" of the ancient noble city of Modica, it is perhaps the most photographed monument of the city. Also in Modica Bassa you can admire the Palazzo De Leva, one of the most picturesque in the province, whose portal, from the early fourteenth century, is a fine example of the Gothic from Chiaramonte which then dominated as style in Sicily throughout the fourteenth century. Among the most significant pieces of evidence of late-Baroque in Modica is the Palazzo Napolino-Tommasi Rosso, which is located in the heart of the old quarter of Francavilla, behind the Cathedral of St. George. Its front side, defines the most elegant Baroque civil architecture of Modica, and includes a beautiful portal, the columns of which the sides leave off the elegant curtains set in stone.
The Palazzo degli Studi (1610 - 1630) was actually the Convent of the Jesuits, who since their settlement in the structure made it the College where the scions of the aristocracy of Modica were instructed. Built at the behest of the Countess Vittoria Colonna de Cabrera, the building has, since 1878, been the seat of the High School named after the scientist and philosopher Tommaso Campailla from Modica.
Teatro Garibaldi deserves special mention, a real jewel in small, since it copies in miniature theatres in large cities, with its audience, its three very elegant tiers of boxes, the gallery, the once storied with a magnificent painting. Its first building was built between 1815 and 1820, with the original name of Teatro Real Ferdinandeo in honor of the reigning era. After restoration and safety measures, it was reopened to the public in 2004. The front side is definitely art nouveau (or neoclassical), with two floors topped by a balustrade which has a central panel decorated with sculptural musical instruments. Above the panel a clock was placed, supported by two male figures, topped with an eagle, the symbol of the County of Modica. It was inaugurated in 1857 with La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi.
Also along Corso Umberto, a few dozen metres from the Cathedral of St. Peter, there is another impressive building, Palazzo Grimaldi, which is, perhaps, the finest example of neo-Renaissance style buildings among those that overlook the historic centre of Modica Bassa . In its rooms there is an important art gallery, full of paintings by the most famous artists of the second half of the nineteenth century in the Iblean area to this day. No less impressive is Palazzo Polara, with its splendid Baroque architecture, introduced by an elegant flight of steps, and the Palazzo de 'Mercedari, attached to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Grace, which was a former convent of the Mercedari used as a hospital during the plague of 1709.
Did you know...
Altre cose da vedere
