Modica — Destination in Sicily

Modica, in the Province of Ragusa, is known for its late Baroque architecture and its traditionally made chocolate. The main things to see in Modica are the Duomo di San Giorgio in the upper town, the Duomo San Pietro in the lower town and the cave church of S. Niccolò Inferiore with its Byzantine frescoes.

Modica Alta and Modica Bassa

The town is split into an upper and a lower part. Modica Alta is the older one, and it is crowned by the late Baroque Duomo di San Giorgio. You reach it by an outside staircase that seems to go on forever on the way up. Once there, look beyond the facade: the interior is richly decorated.

Down in Modica Bassa, the Duomo San Pietro stands on Corso San Pietro, its stairway lined with statues of the twelve apostles. Close by, the cave church of S. Niccolò Inferiore was discovered in the 20th century, its walls covered in Byzantine frescoes.

Churches are everywhere here, which is why Modica is also called the city of 100 churches. Its Baroque architecture has made the town a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the Val di Noto.

More things to see in Modica

Teatro Garibaldi: the town's neoclassical theater, built in the early 19th century.
Via Frigia: a street lined with characteristic houses that gives a sense of old Modica.
Castello dei Conti: the remains of the medieval castle, with wide views over Modica and the surrounding countryside.
Casa Museo di Salvatore Quasimodo: the former home of the Sicilian poet and Nobel laureate in literature, at Via Posterla 84, now a museum on his life and work.
Parco delle Rimembranze: a quiet, green park for a break or an evening passeggiata.

Chocolate and food

Modica chocolate is made by a traditional method, prepared in the Aztec style. The town's confetterie shops let you taste it and buy it. Trattorias and restaurants serve Sicilian cooking and local specialties, so the town works as well for people who travel to eat as for those who come for history and architecture.

When to go

Getting between Modica Bassa and Modica Alta means a lot of steps, which is harder work in midsummer heat than in spring or fall. As a reference, on the north coast near Palermo the average daily high is about 30 °C (86 °F) in July and August and about 23 °C (73 °F) in May and October. Modica lies in the southeast of the island, where temperatures can differ.

Parking in Modica

Parking in the old town is difficult. It is better to park around Corso Umberto I, for free at the Viale Medaglie d'Oro lot or on Piazzale Falcone e Borsellino, and continue into Modica Bassa on foot.