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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A long reconstruction

Searching for colour

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The internal colours

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A majestic and luminous church

One city, three sites

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A triumph of colour

The chocolate of Modica

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Some prestigious works

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The theatre of taste

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Feasting in Palazzolo

Prominent façade

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Staircase of Angels

Many owners, one palace

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

An eagle-shaped city

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

One city, two sites

The interior and its masterpieces

A feast only for Scicli

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The wall comes to life

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

A museum to save a tradition

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The church of Carmine

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

The Burgos crucifix

A talking palace

A new site for a new church

Norman apses

The city of museums

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Feast days

A hall for the feasts

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Two illustrious patron saints

Wonderful quick decorations

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A prominent church

A symbol for the town

A miniature city

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Discovering the mother church

Some masterpieces

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

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

A city in colour

The disastrous earthquake

A half-Baroque church

Between white and black

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

A new site for a new city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

New roads for Catania

A colourful floor

The two churches

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara