Pause for a moment, breathe, listen: Modica begins to reveal her identity, her history, her rituals. Now begins a climb, one that takes you through the alleys of the neighborhood called “Sbalzo,” where cave dwellings still are nestled in the rock. At Via Posterla 84, knocking softly, you can enter the house-museum of Salvatore Quasimodo: there you’ll find his Milanese study, some objects, and an archival video immortalizing him in 1959, when he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Climbing Via Raccomandata, you reach a point where time slows: the Castello dei Conti, which, with its distinctive clock tower, is the symbol of Modica. It stands on a rocky spur overlooking the city. It was a military fortification, a prison complex, and the residence of the counts, equipped with walls, gates, and towers. From here, as if from the prow of a ship, Modica appears stretched out beneath your feet. You see the roofs, the four hills that surround the city, and you sense the ancient course of the river.

A little further up, the sumptuous Cathedral of San Giorgio stands out, with its monumental flower-adorned staircase and five naves: a unique example of Sicilian Baroque architecture, the product of the genius of renowned Syracusan architect Rosario Gagliardi. Climb to the bell tower: the view will repay your efforts. Inside the church find an elliptical sundial engraved on the floor, the statue of the patron saint, Saint George the Martyr, and the 16th-century polyptych by Bernardino Niger adorning the apse wall. Outside again, on the right, is Palazzo Polara, whose elegant staircase provides a backdrop perfectly integrated into the sacred space. On the left, you’ll find Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso, with its sculpted balconies and rounded railings, designed to accommodate the ladies’ bell-shaped skirts, and corbels with gargoyles and anthropomorphic figures. Thus, Modica reveals her full vertical soul, like a paper city in the hands of the gods. Indeed, ascending the stairs that lead to the heart of the upper part of the city, you come to the church of San Giovanni Evangelista, with its spectacular staircase. If you look closely, Modica’s architecture is in the late Baroque style, because when reconstruction began after the 1693 earthquake, the Baroque style in Italy was already in decline. Architects, like the brilliant Gagliardi, and local stonemasons followed those models, but mixed them with other influences, more linear in the case of the façade of San Giovanni. With its cross reaching 449 meters, it is the highest point in the historical center. A little further up, there is the complex of Santa Maria del Gesù: a church with a convent and cloister from the late 15th century, which miraculously survived the earthquake. The cloister, with its twisted columns and central well, served for decades as the courtyard of the city prison. The convent, in fact, expropriated from the Church after the unification of Italy, became a “temporary” prison but maintained this purpose until a few years ago.

Heading back down to Corso Umberto, you’ll find Palazzo Moncada (now home to the Salvatore Quasimodo Municipal Library, with reading rooms for children, multimedia rooms, and free Wi-Fi) and Palazzo Rubino Trombadore, with balconies supported by masks with comical, cheeky faces. In the words of Dante, “Non ti curar di loro”, never mind them and slip into the narrow streets, with the familiar chatter of the courtyards and the scents of authentic cuisine. By the way, if you start to feel hungry, don’t worry: Modica is a city that nourishes. Here, “mangiare di strada” predated the trend of “street food,” and consists of the “rustici”, hearty snacks you can find in historic bakeries, neighborhood bars, rotisserie shops, and at popular festivals: scacce (savory strudel), pastieri (meat tartlets), arancini (fried rice balls), cucche (cheese rolls), pane cunzato (seasoned bread), and buccatedde (vegetable dumplings). While you’re still pondering the eternal dilemma of whether to say arancino or arancina, you’ll find yourself before a small treasure trove: the Teatro Garibaldi. Rebuilt in the early 2000s, its ceiling features a work by master painter Piero Guccione, along with artists from the Scicli School. Your first tour of Modica is almost over, but don’t miss the small rock church of San Nicolò Inferiore, just a few steps from San Pietro. It was discovered by chance in the 1980s: For centuries, it had been “hidden” by the walls of a garage. Only later did its true soul emerge, with perfectly preserved Byzantine frescoes and earthen tombs still partially unexplored. A small, intimate place, but with a powerful charm.

And if you still feel like walking, continue along the main street, heading south: an almond or mulberry granita awaits you at one of the many historic ice cream parlors. Finally, close the circle with a visit to the Church of Santa Maria del Carmelo, known as del Carmine: still adorned by its Gothic rose window, one of the very few elements to survive the apocalypse of 1693. Next door, the former convent adjacent to the church houses a modern cultural center, home to the MARF (Mostre d’Arte Fondazione Teatro Garibaldi), a venue for exhibitions by national and international artists.