Noto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The harmonious architecture and homogeneity of Noto stone create such a scenic balance that the city looks as though it were built in one night.
Noto was actually built over half a century by various architects and craftspeople. Noto omogeneita e l'armonia archtettureThe work of the architect Angelo Italia was fundamental: he organised the city space and created splendid scenographic effects, transforming squares and streets into stages.
No less important was Rosario Gagliardi .
His constant presence in Noto allowed him to closely monitor all of his construction sites and to teach and prepare new, young architects. Upon his death, his works were completed by one of his students, Vincenzo Sinatra , who never forgot the expert’s teachings.
None of this could have been achieved without good basic organisation.
Thanks to Baron Giuseppe Asmundo, the land for constructing the new buildings was allocated fairly and the height of the buildings was also clearly defined. In this way, the buildings were all the same, creating a harmonious and homogeneous landscape.
The choice of white limestone , was also important.This local stone, when lit up by the sun, takes on a golden yellow colour reminiscent of honey.Its appearance has remained unchanged over the centuries; minimal interventions were made and you can still admire it in all its beauty and grace today.The effect is a landscape wrapped in an ethereal light.

Church of San Giuliano (St. Julian) on Via dei Crociferi: reconstruction

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Prominent façade

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The wall comes to life

A majestic and luminous church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new site for a new church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The internal colours

One city, three sites

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A city in colour

Freedom of worship and the role of the Catholic Church in the diffusion of Baroque

The role of the religious orders in rebuilding the Val di Noto

An eagle-shaped city

The Maiolica of the staircase

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Two illustrious patron saints

Some masterpieces

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The senses tell the Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

A museum to save a tradition

The disastrous earthquake

The two churches

The Staircase of Angels

A colourful floor

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Badia di Sant’Agata

The interior and its masterpieces

A small room with a golden entrance

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giuliano ai Crociferi

The senses tell the story of the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte

Discovering the mother church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A long reconstruction

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

One city, two sites

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A miniature city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From the contrast of the exterior to the internal jubilation of colours

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giovanni Battista

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The church of Carmine

The colours of the cathedral

A new site for a new city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A square as the heart of the city

A symbol for the town

Between white and black

The Burgos crucifix

A talking palace

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the church of Santa Maria del Carmelo

The senses tell the Mother Church of San Nicolò and of the Santissimo Salvatore

Feasting in Palazzolo

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The city of museums

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Baroque town by the sea

Many owners, one palace

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feast days

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A half-Baroque church

The theatre of taste

New roads for Catania

Searching for colour