BEAUTY AND THE MAYOR

Franciscan Cloister of Santa Maria del Gesù, Modica

On Saturday evening the Mayor of Modica, in a very nice gesture, held a reception for "Modicani  d'elezione", meaning those who have chosen to live, but were not born, in his town.  The event was held in the stunningly beautiful setting of the recently restored Church and adjoining Franciscan Cloister of Santa Maria del Gesù in Modica Alta.

The Church, extant from 1343, was reconstructed in 1481 for the wedding of Anna Cabrera, Countess of Modica and Federico Henriquez, first cousin of King Ferdinand 11 of Aragon [Fernando il Cattolico].   Having been built high up and away from the then most populous areas of the city, both buildings survived and neither was badly damaged in the terrible earthquake of 1693. 

The columns in the Cloister were constructed in a variety of styles, among them Arabic, Arab-Norman, Gothic, Romanesque and herringbone.  Each one is different.

I took so many pictures of the Church and Cloister, which were even lovelier in the evening light,  that, for ease of viewing, I have compiled them into a slideshow.  I hope you enjoy them:

It was a pleasant evening which included an interlude of traditional Sicilian songs.  And naturally, it wouldn't have been a Modican reception without some enormous trays of delicious,  handmade pastries from the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto: 

I am enormously grateful to the person who uploaded this lovely video onto youtube: