Modica Area Information

Modica is a lovely old Baroque town located in the south east corner of Sicily in the Iblean Mountains, about 15 km southeast of the Province of Ragusa in Sicily. The town was originally divided into two areas known as Modica Alta (Upper Modica), whose picturesque stone houses nestle on the slopes of the mountain, and Modica Bassa (Lower Modica) which lies in the valley. This wonderful historic town known as 'the city of 100 bells and 100 churches', is a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the nearby Baroque towns of Ragusa. This is a lovely place to rent a Sicily apartment in the town to enjoy the history of the place, or to stay in a nearby Sicily villa to enjoy the countrsyide with acees to the history of the town.

The most important feature of Modica is the Baroque Cathedral dedicated to San Giorgio who is one of the most respected martyr saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The church dates from the Middle Ages although a former church on the site was first destroyed in 845 AD by the Arabians. It was rebuilt in the twelfth century by Roger the Norman who dedicated it to Saint George. The church was again rebuilt in 1613 by the orders of Count Giovanni Alfonso Henriquez-Cabrera after an earthquake had destroyed it. After the second earthquake in 1693 it was rebuilt, yet again, by the architect Rosario Gagliardi, who came from Siracusa and had built the San Giorgio cathedral in Ragusa. Another version goes that the church was built by a team of architects from Noto. Enjoy the history of this Baroque town and rent a Sicily holiday villa or a Sicily apartment from Authentic Italy.

Modica Apartments & Villas