Noto

The wall comes to life

Once inside the church, the compactness and simplicity of the exterior give way to the elegance and refinement of the interior. The space is perfectly divided between the entrance, an oval-shaped room reserved for worshippers, and the altar area. The main feature, however, is the decoration on the walls. On a white background, like a sheet of drawing paper, Rosario Gagliardi designed a surprising decoration in golden stucco created by Onofrio Russo.
stucchi doratiingresso verso l’altarestucchi dorati

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wall seems to come to life and the protruding architectural elements make it appear to be moving back and forth. Such vitality is given by the free-standing columns, the trabeation , the statues and the full and empty effect given by the tondos and large windows under the vault.
Dettaglio colonna libera più trabeazione  parte trabeazione luminosità
This is the result of a clear design where its artist, Rosario Gagliardi, pictured the church as a theatre witnessing the Assumption of the Virgin Mary .
The twelve apostles participate in this magical atmosphere, positioned high up between one window and another, ready to witness the miracle. The scene of the Assumption also features in the painting on the main altar; the Benedictine nuns dedicated the church of Santa Chiara to it.
apostoli-statue volta Opera sull’altare maggiore particicolare Opera sull’altare maggiore

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Two illustrious patron saints

Feast days

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The internal colours

The disastrous earthquake

Some prestigious works

A long reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The colours of the cathedral

One city, three sites

A symbol for the town

Discovering the mother church

A hall for the feasts

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

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

Many owners, one palace

A majestic and luminous church

The Staircase of Angels

A talking palace

A half-Baroque church

A museum to save a tradition

Wonderful quick decorations

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

The Burgos crucifix

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The city of museums

A feast only for Scicli

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Norman apses

A new site for a new city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Baroque town by the sea

A miniature city

The interior and its masterpieces

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

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

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

Prominent façade

A colourful floor

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Some masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The chocolate of Modica

Feasting in Palazzolo

One city, two sites

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Searching for colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

New roads for Catania

A new site for a new church

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

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The theatre of taste

From International Gothic to present day

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A city in colour

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

An eagle-shaped city

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A triumph of colour

The façade used as a puppet theatre

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Between white and black

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The church of Carmine

The two churches