The city of PGI chocolate, built across two valleys: baroque churches on monumental staircases and historic workshops.
Modica spreads along two valleys that meet, with an Upper and a Lower town joined by staircases and hairpin roads. Rebuilt in late baroque forms after the 1693 earthquake, it has been part of the UNESCO Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto since 2002. Its skyline is dominated by churches that seem to climb the rock.
San Giorgio Cathedral stands at the top of a monumental staircase, while San Pietro Cathedral, on Corso Umberto, overlooks a flight of steps lined with statues of the apostles. Along Corso Umberto I you meet noble palaces, shops and the Casa Natale museum of Salvatore Quasimodo, the Nobel Prize-winning poet born in Modica.
Modica is famous worldwide for its chocolate, awarded Protected Geographical Indication: cold-processed following an ancient recipe handed down from Spanish rule, it has a distinctive grainy texture. Historic workshops, such as Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, offer tastings from the classic flavour to cinnamon, chilli or citrus.
A few kilometres away, Cava d'Ispica is a canyon carved in the rock with necropolises and cave dwellings: an ideal outing for combining culture and nature.
Modica is about 40 minutes from the airport. You can get there by private transfer, rental car or the regional bus lines connecting the airport to Modica: check up-to-date timetables in our getting around guide.
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