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

A talking palace

The Staircase of Angels

The Baroque town by the sea

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The city of museums

A feast only for Scicli

A half-Baroque church

An eagle-shaped city

A miniature city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Limestone, the colour of harmony

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The disastrous earthquake

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Discovering the mother church

Searching for colour

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

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The two churches

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The colours of the cathedral

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The chocolate of Modica

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A square as the heart of the city

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Wonderful quick decorations

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new site for a new church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Feast days

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Many owners, one palace

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

Norman apses

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The internal colours

A city in colour

A small room with a golden entrance

Two illustrious patron saints

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

New roads for Catania

Between white and black

A triumph of colour

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

A hall for the feasts

A prominent church

The theatre of taste

A majestic and luminous church

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Some prestigious works

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

The church of Carmine

One city, three sites

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

Prominent façade

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A museum to save a tradition

The wall comes to life

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The interior and its masterpieces

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A long reconstruction

The Burgos crucifix

A colourful floor