Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

sight
A panorama over Noto

The terrace of Santa Chiara will take your breath away! Partly because of all the stairs you have to climb, but more so for the spectacular view.
The whole city of Noto is below you, where infinite shades of colours embellish the landscape.
The green of the trees and surrounding hills; the blue of the sea that shines brightly in the distance, illuminated by the sun like a carpet of diamonds; and the golden cathedral of San Nicolò whose façade and round dome can be seen. A show of lights and colours!vista dalla terrazza di Santa Chiara

touch
The warm stucco

The gilded stuccoes on the ceiling of Santa Chiara (St. Claire) shine in the sunlight.
To the touch they will always be warmer than any other cold marble statue or sculpture, which are unable to retain heat.
Like stucco, wood will also always be warmer than this precious and ice-cold stone.

hearing
A gentle song

The nuns’singing was remarkable.
During religious services the church was filled with sweet voices and gentle songs alternating with delicate prayers.
If you return to the 18th century in your mind you can still hear the engrossed nuns singing Gloria del Signore (Glory of the Lord).

A long reconstruction

Prominent façade

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Between white and black

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

From International Gothic to present day

The city of museums

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Many owners, one palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A feast only for Scicli

Searching for colour

A half-Baroque church

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The wall comes to life

A triumph of colour

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A city in colour

A new site for a new church

A miniature city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

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

One city, two sites

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Some prestigious works

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The church of Carmine

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, three sites

The internal colours

A majestic and luminous church

New roads for Catania

Discovering the mother church

A hall for the feasts

Two illustrious patron saints

A symbol for the town

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

A colourful floor

A small room with a golden entrance

Wonderful quick decorations

The disastrous earthquake

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new site for a new city

The interior and its masterpieces

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some masterpieces

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

An eagle-shaped city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The colours of the cathedral

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

A museum to save a tradition

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The two churches

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

The Staircase of Angels

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The theatre of taste

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Norman apses

A talking palace

The Burgos crucifix

Limestone, the colour of harmony