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.

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

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The church of Carmine

The theatre of taste

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The chocolate of Modica

The two churches

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A museum to save a tradition

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A prominent church

A small room with a golden entrance

The wall comes to life

The Burgos crucifix

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

Some masterpieces

A city in colour

A majestic and luminous church

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

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new site for a new city

Wonderful quick decorations

Two illustrious patron saints

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, two sites

A miniature city

An eagle-shaped city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Feasting in Palazzolo

New roads for Catania

The Staircase of Angels

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The city of museums

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Feast days

Some prestigious works

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A talking palace

The interior and its masterpieces

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Norman apses

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

Searching for colour

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

The disastrous earthquake

From International Gothic to present day

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The internal colours

Many owners, one palace

One city, three sites

A triumph of colour

Prominent façade

A new site for a new church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A hall for the feasts

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Between white and black

The colours of the cathedral

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Baroque town by the sea

A long reconstruction

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public