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
Mar 2, 2026Harbor and longtail boats at Ko Samui, Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 28, 2018Do spirits haunt the Gardens of Versailles?
Sep 19, 2024International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Apr 26, 2023Great horned owl fledglings
May 28, 2026Old city wall of Hwaseong Fortress, Suwon, South Korea
Sep 3, 2023Skyscraper Day
Feb 17, 2020Happy Presidents Day
Mar 2, 2021Fall for Chile
Aug 7, 2019Nubble Island’s only industry
Apr 9, 2024Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Jan 2, 2025Ardez, Graubunden, Switzerland
Dec 22, 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 1, 2018A treaty for science
May 7, 2024A duckling swimming in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
Sep 23, 2023Autumnal equinox
Mar 2, 2025Megalong Valley, Blue Mountains National Park, Australia
Oct 17, 2021A walk among the giants
Jul 12, 2026Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine
Sep 21, 2023International Day of Peace
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California
Sep 5, 2021Venice s grand regatta
Jun 24, 2024Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia
Sep 22, 2019Barcelona bids farewell to summer
Aug 8, 2025Three Musketeers Falls at Iguazú Falls, Argentina
May 2, 2019Making it work—in Norway
Jul 27, 2018Composite image of a lunar eclipse
Dec 28, 2025Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973
Sep 25, 2018Walking among the giants
Mar 28, 2024Cherry blossoms in Shanghai, China
Jun 19, 2020Celebrating freedom
Dec 27, 2019 Winterpret on ice