Bisecting Modica Bassa, Corso Umberto I is the place to lap up the lively local atmosphere. A wide avenue flanked by graceful palaces, churches, restaurants, bars and boutiques, it is where the locals come to parade during the evening passeggiata . Originally a raging river ran through town, but after major flood damage in 1902 it was dammed and Corso Umberto was built over it.
Obvious landmarks include the Cattedrale di San Pietro , an impressive church atop a rippling staircase lined with life-sized statues of the apostles; and the Chiesa Santa Maria del Carmine , also known as Santa Maria dell'Annunziata.
For a break from baroque, head off the corso to Via Grimaldi where the Chiesa Rupestre di San Nicolò Inferiore boasts some rich Byzantine frescoes. Ring the bell for admission.
Back on the main street, next to the tourist office in Palazzo della Cultura, the Museo Civico houses Modica's collection of archaeological finds from Modica and Cava d'Ispica, dating back to the Neolithic period.
