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.

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new church

The colours of the cathedral

The chocolate of Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Discovering the mother church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The two churches

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Prominent façade

Feast days

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

One city, three sites

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A long reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A museum to save a tradition

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Burgos crucifix

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

A symbol for the town

Some masterpieces

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

A triumph of colour

A prominent church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Baroque town by the sea

The wall comes to life

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

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

An eagle-shaped city

A city in colour

Some prestigious works

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The church of Carmine

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The disastrous earthquake

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Staircase of Angels

A talking palace

A small room with a golden entrance

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Searching for colour

The internal colours

One city, two sites

A miniature city

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The theatre of taste

Between white and black

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A hall for the feasts

A feast only for Scicli

Wonderful quick decorations

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A new site for a new city

The city of museums

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A half-Baroque church