Welcome to Modica, a city rich in art, history and tradition. It’s a unique and charming place, where the splendor of the baroque architecture offers an intimate atmosphere, heightened by its hidden alleys that raise unexpected emotions.Present day Modica is defined by its late-baroque style but this overlays the settlements that have stood on the site since prehistoric times and give to the city its millennia of history. During its urban development, Modica followed the lay of the land and its shape became unique. The writer Gesualdo Bufalino said: “….it is a place in the shape of a split pomegranate…half-constricted by a small spur of rock and half spread out at its feet”. Nowadays, Modica sits between the rocky plateau and the nearby gorges that were gouged out of the rock by the river Moticano and its tributaries. In the rocky upland the most ancient settlement is called Modica Alta, distinguishing it from the further expansion in the valley below, which takes the name of Modica Bassa.