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.

Between white and black

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Discovering the mother church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A triumph of colour

The Burgos crucifix

Wonderful quick decorations

The city of museums

The wall comes to life

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A Nobel Prize in Modica

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A new site for a new church

A majestic and luminous church

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

One city, three sites

The chocolate of Modica

A prominent church

The Staircase of Angels

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The colours of the cathedral

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

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A city in colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Many owners, one palace

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

A miniature city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A symbol for the town

A talking palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

An eagle-shaped city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A museum to save a tradition

A square as the heart of the city

One city, two sites

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The theatre of taste

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The church of Carmine

The interior and its masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some masterpieces

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

Feast days

A small room with a golden entrance

The internal colours

Two illustrious patron saints

The two churches

Norman apses

Prominent façade

A long reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

A new site for a new city

The Maiolica of the staircase

A hall for the feasts

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

A feast only for Scicli

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

A colourful floor

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feasting in Palazzolo