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.

A colourful floor

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new church

Two illustrious patron saints

A majestic and luminous church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A hall for the feasts

Between white and black

Norman apses

A museum to save a tradition

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

The Staircase of Angels

The wall comes to life

The Maiolica of the staircase

A triumph of colour

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Some prestigious works

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Many owners, one palace

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

An eagle-shaped city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

One city, two sites

A new site for a new city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

The theatre of taste

One city, three sites

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Baroque town by the sea

From International Gothic to present day

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Searching for colour

A small room with a golden entrance

The interior and its masterpieces

A feast only for Scicli

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The two churches

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A city in colour

A long reconstruction

Feast days

A square as the heart of the city

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A symbol for the town

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

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

Prominent façade

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Burgos crucifix

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A half-Baroque church

New roads for Catania

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The city of museums

The internal colours

The chocolate of Modica

A talking palace

Wonderful quick decorations

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A miniature city

Discovering the mother church

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

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

The colours of the cathedral

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony