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.

Norman apses

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

The theatre of taste

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Discovering the mother church

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

A majestic and luminous church

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

Feast days

A small room with a golden entrance

The Staircase of Angels

Two illustrious patron saints

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

One city, two sites

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A square as the heart of the city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Prominent façade

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A triumph of colour

The Baroque town by the sea

An eagle-shaped city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

From International Gothic to present day

The city of museums

A new site for a new church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A talking palace

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The wall comes to life

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The disastrous earthquake

A long reconstruction

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A hall for the feasts

Between white and black

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

Searching for colour

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

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

One city, three sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chocolate of Modica

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The two churches

A city in colour

The colours of the cathedral

Feasting in Palazzolo

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some prestigious works

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The church of Carmine

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Some masterpieces

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The internal colours

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A symbol for the town

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The interior and its masterpieces

A half-Baroque church

A miniature city

A museum to save a tradition

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

New roads for Catania

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A colourful floor