Duomo di San Giorgio
This Baroque beauty and so-called Mother Church of Modica Alta is reached by climbing 250 steps that crisscross in a monumental staircase leading up to the main doors. Dating back to medieval times—and after a series of calamities, including the 1693 earthquake—its present form took shape during the 17th and 18th centuries, largely under Spanish rule. The imposing 200-foot-high facade and tower were remodeled by Rosario Gagliardi (1698–1762); the church was finally crowned by an iron cross in 1842. You'll want to linger amid the white-stuccoed, eggshell blue and gold-leafed interior, taking in the artistic flamboyance of its five naves and numerous chapels, which are surrounded and supported by 22 Corinthian columns. One chapel houses the equestrian statue of San Giorgio that is paraded through Modica every April. A towering polyptych attributed to Bernardino Nigro (1538–1590) consists of nine Biblical scenes capped by a lunette of God and two golden adoring angels. Don't miss the meridian sundial with the signs of the zodiac near the the main altar; it was designed by the mathematician Armando Perini in 1895. Mass is held year-round on Sunday at 11 am, daily at 7 pm from April through October, as well as 7:30 pm in July and August; from November through March, the daily evening mass is at 6 pm. For the best views in town, climb the campanile. (For a cacophonous experience, you can also time your ascension to 30 minutes before mass when the mighty bells chime. Cover your ears, though.)
