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 Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Many owners, one palace

Some prestigious works

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A feast only for Scicli

Feasting in Palazzolo

The church of Carmine

The city of museums

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A square as the heart of the city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A new site for a new church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The interior and its masterpieces

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Norman apses

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

From International Gothic to present day

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Wonderful quick decorations

The internal colours

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

An eagle-shaped city

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Some masterpieces

A long reconstruction

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

The colours of the cathedral

A city in colour

A new site for a new city

The chocolate of Modica

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

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

Between white and black

One city, three sites

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The two churches

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

A half-Baroque church

The Burgos crucifix

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A majestic and luminous church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A colourful floor

The Baroque town by the sea

The Maiolica of the staircase

A miniature city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

A triumph of colour

The Staircase of Angels

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A prominent church

A museum to save a tradition

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

New roads for Catania

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

Discovering the mother church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Prominent façade

A hall for the feasts

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Searching for colour

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Feast days

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A symbol for the town