Modica

Modica is a baroque towns in the Hyblaean Mountains near Ragusa, famous for its baroque architecture. Founded in 1360 BC or 1031 BC, the city was initially Greek, then ruled by the Romans, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Normans and finally annexed by Italy in 1860. Modica contains lots of ancient medieval buildings which climb steeply up either side of a deep gorge. The highlight of the city is the cathedral of San Giorgio (i.e. the cathedral of Modica or Duomo di San Giorgio in Italian), which is the result of restorations in the 17th and 18th centuries of a church dating back to the 12th century following earthquake damage. Together with the other baroque towns in the Noto valley, Modica has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2002.