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.

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The city of museums

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Feast days

A small room with a golden entrance

The Maiolica of the staircase

Some masterpieces

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A museum to save a tradition

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The interior and its masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Between white and black

Two illustrious patron saints

The wall comes to life

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Norman apses

A symbol for the town

A majestic and luminous church

The Burgos crucifix

The internal colours

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A talking palace

One city, three sites

Some prestigious works

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The theatre of taste

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A feast only for Scicli

A triumph of colour

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

The church of Carmine

Prominent façade

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The colours of the cathedral

A city in colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A half-Baroque church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A new site for a new city

A long reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

A prominent church

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

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

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A miniature city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Sebastian, so much work!

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Many owners, one palace

Wonderful quick decorations

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

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

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The two churches

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The chocolate of Modica

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

New roads for Catania

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A colourful floor

The disastrous earthquake

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new site for a new church

The Staircase of Angels

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new palace for the La Rocca lords