Modica, UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sicily, Italy
Modica is a commune in southern Sicily, divided into two sections at different elevations. The upper town sits on rocky hilltops, while the lower town spreads through a valley once crossed by rivers.
An earthquake destroyed much of the town in 1693, after which churches and palaces were rebuilt in Sicilian baroque style. This reconstruction still shapes the townscape and led to recognition as a World Heritage Site.
The Cathedral of San Giorgio rises above a wide staircase of pale stone, displaying Sicilian baroque craftsmanship. In the lanes of the lower town, chocolatiers make chocolate following Aztec tradition, without modern conching.
Stone stairways connect the two sections and lead through narrow lanes between tall facades. The Guerrieri arch spans the valley and provides a clear landmark when walking through.
Several churches stand directly on the roofs of earlier houses, after the earthquake completely changed the town structure. Some facades still show imprints of baroque wooden beams that were set into the stone.
Location: Free Municipal Consortium of Ragusa
Location: Province of Ragusa
Capital city: Modica
Elevation above the sea: 296 m
Part of: Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto
Shares border with: Buscemi, Giarratana, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Pozzallo, Rosolini, إسبيكا, Ragusa, Scicli
Website: https://comune.modica.rg.it
GPS coordinates: 36.86722,14.76139
Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:00
Sicily combines Greek temples, Roman mosaics, and Norman churches on an island at the crossroads of Europe and Africa. The archaeological sites document over two thousand years of history, from the Doric columns in Agrigento to the Byzantine domes in Palermo. This collection includes the Temple of Concordia, whose preserved structure ranks among the finest examples of Greek architecture outside Greece, and the Villa Romana del Casale with its extensive fourth-century floor mosaics. The region also offers natural sites such as the active volcano Mount Etna and coastal reserves like Zingaro. Palermo displays multiple eras simultaneously, from the medieval Palazzo dei Normanni to the nineteenth-century Teatro Massimo. Syracuse preserves its ancient past on the island of Ortigia and in the Necropolis of Pantalica, while towns such as Modica and Cefalù present medieval old quarters and Norman cathedrals. The Aeolian Islands complement the mainland with volcanic landscapes and the active Stromboli.
Duomo of San Giorgio
350 m
Duomo of San Giorgio
6.8 km
Ponte Costanzo
3.1 km
Cava d’Ispica
7 km
Ragusa Cathedral
7.1 km
San Pietro Cathedral, Modica
727 m
Giardino Ibleo
6.7 km
Guerrieri Bridge
2.1 km
Santa Maria Maggiore
16.2 km
Castelluccio di Noto excavations
18.7 km
Lago di Santa Rosalia
12.1 km
Castle of Modica
590 m
Torre Cabrera
17.4 km
Chiesa del Purgatorio
6.9 km
Circolo di conversazione
6.8 km
Santa Maria delle Scale
6.9 km
San Giuseppe, Ragusa
6.7 km
Pietre Nere
17.5 km
Cava dei servi
11.1 km
Santa Maria dell'Itria, Ragusa
7 km
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Portosalvo
17.3 km
San Giovanni Evangelista
144 m
Chiesa di Santa Maria del Gesù
599 m
Santa Maria di Betlem
756 m
Cava Lazzaro
13.1 km
San Vincenzo Ferreri
6.6 km
Chiesa del Carmine
1.1 km
Santissima Annunziata
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