History of Modica

In the middle of the second millennium the ancient Counts of Modica had a great politic and economic power in the island and exerted a so vast power as to be considered a state into the state "regnum in regno".

The sovereign had no importance. On the contrary the earl minted even the coin and was in charge of Gran Corte Criminale, so that he was the lord and the master of his subjects. But the Earls of Modica were generally enlightened and capable, especially during the middle of the millennium, and a lot of initiatives originates from the past to get into the future in a convincing way.

The town was so particular till the middle of the last century that it was compared to Venezia: it was situated on the valley where two torrents flew into each other and there were a lot of bridges and small bridges to connect the zones of the lower area.

The town as a "broken pomegranate", happy image that Gesualdo Bufalino coined for Modica, climbs up the ridges and reaches the top of the castle. Apart from the manor-house, the higher area of the town, the great expanses of the lands, for which the Counts was proud of its agriculture, in that wide areas where a geometric design formed by dry walls, result of a process of the divisions of the landed estates during the XV and the XVI century, constitutes, together with the great carob trees, one of the more charming aspects of the territory.

The Counts, that in 1996 has celebrated its 700 years (it was founded in 23 March 1296 and assigned to Manfredi I Chiaramonte) expanded its power on great part of the island reaching Alcamo, Caccamo and Calatafimi, about a fourth of the Sicilian territory.

In past times Modica met the Siculan, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Arabic domination , but the town reached the height of its power during the Norman age and than it was apanage of the Moscas', the Chiaramontes', the Cabreras', the Henriquez' and the Alvarez'.

The last sovereign of Modica was a woman: Lady Maria Teresa Sylvia y Mendoza (who married the marquis Alvarez De Villafranca). Another woman leaded Modica to its maximum splendour: Lady Vittoria Colonna, who anticipated four centuries ago the social aspirations distributing the uncultivated lands by dividing the estate and making a social revolution by setting the serfs free.

And also today Modica offers this intense taste of Baroque with its splendid views, its treasures of art, its churches, its palaces, its decorated portals risen on the ruins caused by the great earthquake of 1696 which destroyed a large part of Sicily, particularly Modica, that was immediately rebuilt thanks to a great work of its people.

At the beginnings of the XIV century the Counts lost its rank and its title was given to the Regno delle Due Sicilie. The properties were given for nothing. But till today Modica guards the pride, the monuments, the culture of its past and the prestigious names of its inhabitants: from Tommaso Campailla to Quasimodo, Nobel prize winner for literature.

The economy of the area once principally agricultural producing olives, carobs, legumes, cereals, and cattle; an extraordinary and unique product is the famous chocolate of Modica, produced with an ancient and original Aztec recipe. The city has now been joined by factories producing textiles, furniture and cars. Tourism is also an important industry to the area, since Modica entered the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.