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 disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A prominent church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The colours of the cathedral

A square as the heart of the city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A long reconstruction

Two illustrious patron saints

An eagle-shaped city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Staircase of Angels

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

Some masterpieces

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Discovering the mother church

The two churches

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The interior and its masterpieces

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Norman apses

Some prestigious works

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

From International Gothic to present day

Feast days

The internal colours

Searching for colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Prominent façade

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

A new site for a new city

The Burgos crucifix

One city, two sites

The chocolate of Modica

A small room with a golden entrance

The church of Carmine

A triumph of colour

The city of museums

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A half-Baroque church

The wall comes to life

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Between white and black

A Nobel Prize in Modica

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A feast only for Scicli

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Many owners, one palace

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A colourful floor

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Maiolica of the staircase

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Wonderful quick decorations

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The theatre of taste

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A symbol for the town

A miniature city

A talking palace

A city in colour

A museum to save a tradition

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

A majestic and luminous church

One city, three sites