6. Church of Saint Dominic and Dominican Convent

The church and convent of Saint Dominic, also known as the Church of the Rosary, were built in 1461 by the Dominican Preaching Friars, whose order had been founded in the early 1200s (Fig. a).
The complex was destroyed in the 1613 earthquake and rebuilt in 1678, withstanding the 1693 one.
The façade has two orders (Fig.
b). The first, built before the earthquake, bears the date 1678 (Fig. c), while the second order results from post-earthquake reconstruction. The arched entrance portal is bordered by two tall pilasters resting on bases and is surmounted by a large frieze with a Dominican crown and symbols.
The church features a single nave, with a barrel vault decorated with stuccoes by Gianforma (Fig.
d). d). In the presbytery is a Rococo-style altar, above which is a remarkable polyptych depicting episodes from the life of Saint Dominic (Fig. e).
The convent, the result of post-earthquake reconstruction, has three storeys. The convent, the result of post-earthquake reconstruction, has three storeys. Inside is a considerable-sized rectangular cloister with groin vaults and round arches resting on pillars (Fig. f).
The first order can also be accessed via an external staircase located between the church and the convent, which leads to a balcony serving as a hallway for the rooms overlooking the public street.
Conforming to the Dominican rules against heresies, the Dominicans were charged with exercising the Inquisition and the convent, for an extended period, was used as a Court of the Inquisition.
Following the eversive laws of the State, after the unification of Italy, the convent was confiscated and given to the municipality of Modica, which still uses it today as its town hall.