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 disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The chocolate of Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

From International Gothic to present day

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A miniature city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A triumph of colour

Searching for colour

Some masterpieces

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

One city, two sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A majestic and luminous church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The city of museums

The Burgos crucifix

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Norman apses

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A prominent church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Discovering the mother church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

A symbol for the town

The church of Carmine

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A feast only for Scicli

The Staircase of Angels

The colours of the cathedral

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

The internal colours

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Prominent façade

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A museum to save a tradition

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A half-Baroque church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A colourful floor

The wall comes to life

Between white and black

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

Feasting in Palazzolo

The interior and its masterpieces

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

Some prestigious works

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The two churches

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

A new site for a new city

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

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The theatre of taste

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A hall for the feasts

A long reconstruction

A small room with a golden entrance

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

One city, three sites

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

New roads for Catania

An eagle-shaped city