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.

A half-Baroque church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A square as the heart of the city

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The disastrous earthquake

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Prominent façade

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A prominent church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The city of museums

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

From International Gothic to present day

A talking palace

Searching for colour

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

A miniature city

A long reconstruction

The Baroque town by the sea

The Staircase of Angels

A majestic and luminous church

The Burgos crucifix

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A colourful floor

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

One city, two sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A small room with a golden entrance

The interior and its masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

Some masterpieces

Some prestigious works

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Many owners, one palace

New roads for Catania

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

A symbol for the town

An eagle-shaped city

A new site for a new church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

Wonderful quick decorations

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Between white and black

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A city in colour

A hall for the feasts

The church of Carmine

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A feast only for Scicli

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

The chocolate of Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The theatre of taste

Norman apses

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A triumph of colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A museum to save a tradition

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

A new site for a new city

One city, three sites

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

The colours of the cathedral