Modica, Sicily, Italy Mar 2, 2024

Modica, Sicily, Italy

When Italy comes to mind, iconic cities like Milan, Rome, and Venice often steal the spotlight. However, on the island of Sicily lies a less famous gem—Modica. It"s a city that rose from the rubble of an earthquake in 1693 to become an architectural wonderland of Baroque-style buildings. With fewer than 60,000 inhabitants, this UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts cobbled lanes, echoing with powerful footprints—from prehistoric tribes to the ancient Greeks and Romans to the medieval Arabs and Normans. Landmarks like the San Giorgio Cathedral and San Pietro Church awe visitors with their grandeur, and Modica"s famous chocolate, crafted with Aztec-inspired techniques, tempts the palates of food enthusiasts. So, the next time Italy beckons, how about taking the road less traveled to Modica?

© Sandro Bisaro/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Mar 2, 2018Satellite image of sand and seaweed in the Bahamas
Mar 2, 2019You won’t see this on Mulberry Street
Mar 2, 2020And to think that I saw it in Cappadocia
Mar 2, 2021Fall for Chile
Mar 2, 2022Mount Rainier National Park
Mar 2, 2023Negratín Reservoir, Granada, Spain
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, Australia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 12, 2024Bukhansan National Park, South Korea
Dec 28, 2024Endangered Species Act
Jan 1, 2021Take the plunge into 2021
Mar 5, 2019Stompin’ with the Big Chief
Nov 21, 2025World Hello Day
Jul 15, 2020Who left the tub running?
Sep 17, 2024Mid-Autumn Festival
Aug 27, 2021Yabba-Dabba-Doo!
Feb 8, 2024Mount Hood, Oregon
Oct 16, 2025A Eurasian lynx in Siberia
Oct 18, 2025Silbury Hill for International Archaeology Day
Oct 11, 2019Art in the high desert
May 5, 2019Celebrating Mexico in a Cultural Capital
May 11, 2020A tree amid the Tetons
Mar 2, 2023Negratín Reservoir, Granada, Spain
Jan 9, 2022Rice processing in Bangladesh
Nov 13, 2020Once upon a midafternoon dreary…
Dec 13, 2019Taking the scenic route
Sep 28, 2021The snows of Fuji
Oct 25, 2020A most sincere pumpkin patch
Jun 9, 2024Bardenas Reales Biosphere Reserve and Natural Park, Spain
Nov 1, 2023Native American Heritage Month
Apr 28, 2018National Park Week: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Mar 31, 2024Happy Easter!
May 15, 2023The Canary Islands, Spain
Sep 28, 2022A. M. Foster Bridge in Cabot, Vermont
Aug 16, 2025World Honey Bee Day
Mar 24, 2023Wild garlic in bloom at Hainich National Park, Germany
Apr 26, 2020Red skies at Ruby Beach
Jul 26, 2019The party’s just starting