Modica, Pozzallo

Again, today we will return to Modica to have more time to spent in walking around and discovering its beauties. We are now in front of one of the most majestic monuments. Place on top of a picturesque staircase of 260 steps, the Cathedral of San Giorgio, as well as being the symbol of the city of Modica, is also considered as one of the most symbolic monument of Sicilia Baroque! This monumental church is located in the area, which connects the lower part with the upper part of the town, and is a feast for the eyes, both inside and out. The imposing facade is one that will leave you breathless. Impossible not to notice it, impossible not to love it. The staircase, made up of several shelves, is somewhat reminiscent of Trinità dei Monti in Rome. And if the outside has left you breathless, you will certainly not be disappointed from the inside. There are many significant artworks inside! Behind the main altar there is a polyptych consisting of 9 panels arranged in 3 rows of 3 panels: in the first order from below are represented San Giorgio and San Martino, the two Saints Knights and Warriors (they have a particularly lively devotion throughout the County of Modica); in the second order the Joyful Mysteries and in the third the Glorious Mysteries are represented. Elegant and extremely rich is the large frame in carved and gilded wood. The polyptych, initially attributed to Girolamo Alibrandi, also known as the Raphael of Sicily, was later attributed to Bernardino Niger.

This is the most important museum of the city, collecting many archeological findings and other pieces of art. Let's discover together this beautiful museum ant its collections with the izi.TRAVEL audioguide!

We cannot miss the stop at the Bonaiuto confectionery! Here we can taste the delicacy of Modica chocolate, or even a nice ricotta cannolo!

From Modica take your car to move to Pozzallo, which entirely overlooks the sea! Here we will discover a very beautiful village for having a relaxing afternoon ..

I recommend you to spend a couple of hours on the beach with your family, in full relaxation and music from the shores. The Pietrenere beach offers a beautiful clear and crystalline sea, and a soft and golden sand.

After taking a seat on the beach, I recommend going for a granita with brioche, so as to keep yourself light for a nice swim! Absolutely the recommended stop is at Bar Mattioli!

Get some rest, have a shower and then go out to continue our tour!

Here we are in front of the most important monument of the city and its symbol: the Torre Cabrera)! The Cabrera Tower overlooks the sea and especially in summer is open to many tourists, who can visit it and at the same time know all its stories! It had in fact a great military importance: it was a defense tower, built during the 1400s for the preventive sighting of the pirates who at that time infested the Mediterranean Sea. However, the tower was not only a strategic military point: some of the rooms were used by the nobles: we recognize it from the cross vaults where the sculpted coats of arms representing the noble Catalan Cabrera family stand out. In fact, Count Giovanni Bernardo Cabrera was the lord of the city, who obtained the consent of King Alfonso V of Aragon to build the defense tower. Inside the tower you can also admire some historical artifacts, including arches.

Piazza della Rimembranza is the fulcrum of the city of Pozzallo: it looks like a rectangular space with beautiful historic residences, that belonged to the most illustrious families of the city bourgeoisie. The large rectangular square is crossed by the main street which divides it into two sectors, which are also rectangular. To the north you can distinguish Palazzo Giunta with its lovely terrace, then there is Palazzo Musso, which is a fine example of Art Nouveau style, particularly loved in Sicily between the late 1800s and early 1900s, which was also the first seat of the Municipality. Finally, you must admire the beautiful War Memorial of the city which depicts a naked and muscular helmsman, and recalls the blood tribute of the soldiers and sailors of Pozzallo. To the south is Palazzo Pandolfi, which has a large terrace overlooking the sea on the back. The square is embellished by 46 palm trees, which seem to embrace it, surrounding it, and which symbolize the heroes who died in the First World War.

At the corner of the square there is a very small restaurant-pizzeria, where you can stop and enjoy some fish or a delicious pizza. Ah, do you think this is a strange name? In Sicilian language it means "God bless you"!

The Lungomare Pietre Nere represents the tourist center for daytime and evening walks! Obviously here many tourists are normally attracted, so both day and night you can meet a lot of people around, who enjoy the beautiful sea breeze! Especially in the evening, the promenade becomes the favorite destination for both tourists and locals, due to the presence of events organized at the amphitheater, where street artists often perform. The Lungomare is also the perfect place for family walks: it has play areas for children, ice cream parlors and bars to have an ice cream or to have an aperitif with friends at sunset!

After having your dinner and walking on the Lungomare, enjoy this place with a lot of music accompanied by a good cocktail all overlooking a railing facing the sea.

...and now have a good night! tomorrow we will discover other beauties on the southern coast!