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.

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Maiolica of the staircase

From International Gothic to present day

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The internal colours

Many owners, one palace

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Discovering the mother church

Some prestigious works

A new site for a new city

The chocolate of Modica

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The wall comes to life

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Burgos crucifix

Searching for colour

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The two churches

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

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

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

Wonderful quick decorations

A talking palace

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

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A square as the heart of the city

A long reconstruction

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

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

Feast days

Prominent façade

The theatre of taste

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Between white and black

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

The colours of the cathedral

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Baroque town by the sea

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

An eagle-shaped city

The church of Carmine

Two illustrious patron saints

Feasting in Palazzolo

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A symbol for the town

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A half-Baroque church

A city in colour

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new site for a new church

A miniature city

A museum to save a tradition

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A hall for the feasts

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

A feast only for Scicli

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A triumph of colour

Limestone, the colour of harmony

One city, three sites

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Norman apses

The city of museums

One city, two sites

A prominent church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

New roads for Catania

Modica, a city with ancient origins

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The disastrous earthquake

A new palace for the La Rocca lords