The Cathedral of San Giorgio

The Cathedral of San Giorgio is the main church of Modica, in the Free Municipal Consortium of Ragusa and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was designed by the famous architect Rosario Gagliardi and represents a majestic expression of Sicilian Baroque, crowned by an imposing staircase bordered by an iron gate. The façade is defined as a “tower” and ends with a bell tower and has a 43 meter high dome.

Rebuilt between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries after the earthquakes that struck the city in 1542, 1613 and the very serious one in 1693. It seems inspired by that of the Pantheon in Paris and is located in the upper part of a sloping square. What appears clear are the two groups of three columns that mark the three parts of the facade.

The interior of the church has three naves which are divided by pillars with Corinthian-style capitals. Thirty-three windows represent the 13 episodes of the martyrdom of St. George, while on the walls there are paintings by eighteenth-century artists such as D’Anna, Tresca and Manno.