The history of Modica

An ancient town, probably originally consisting of scattered settlements, it developed into a centre with the arrival of the Normans, and later became a county under the Aragonese. With the unification of the fiefs of Modica and Ragusa, thanks to the marriage of Isabella Mosca to Manfredi Chiaramonte in 1296, the town acquired importance with its own order and militia. After Andrea Chiaramonte’s defeat and killing, the County passed to Bernardo Cabrera as a reward for helping King Martino of Aragon regain control of Sicily.
After Andrea Chiaramonte’s defeat and killing, the County passed to Bernardo Cabrera as a reward for helping King Martino of Aragon regain control of Sicily. The city grew further under the Cabrera-Henriquez reign. At this time, the city consists of two large districts: one around the Castle and the Church of St. George and the other on the valley floor, under the spur of the castle, near the two streams and the Church of St. Peter.
In the years following the Counter-Reformation (completed in 1563), the orders of the Jesuits, Capuchins and Mercedarians settled with constructions that were sensitive to the new urban planning, introducing the Baroque style. The two streets bordering the stream (the riverbed of which was covered after the flood of 1902) set out to become the city’s main axis, albeit still characterised by the series of bridges that have now disappeared and are difficult to imagine in today’s context.
It was almost destroyed by an earthquake in 1693, and it was subsequently rebuilt on the same site. The reconstruction of Modica took place over the previous structures, so that today, we can see this remarkable intertwining of medieval and baroque culture.
Another great transformation occurred after the Unification of Italy when, with the laws of confiscation of ecclesiastical property, many convents passed to the State, which used them for institutional purposes, such as the convent of Saint Mary of Jesus, which was turned into a prison, destroying some architectural features of the monumental complex. Since 2002, two of its monuments have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List: the Church of Saint Peter (1) and the Church of Saint George (2). The following are also of late-Baroque value and relevance: Church of the Carmine (3); Church of Our Lady of Grace (4); Church of Saint Mary of Bethlehem (5); Church of Saint Dominic and Convent of the Dominicans (6); Palazzo Padri Mercenari (Palace of the Mercedarian Fathers) (7); Palazzo Polara (8).