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).

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Maiolica of the staircase

Prominent façade

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The colours of the cathedral

Some prestigious works

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A city in colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A prominent church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A triumph of colour

The church of Carmine

A talking palace

The internal colours

One city, two sites

A long reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica

A museum to save a tradition

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Between white and black

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The interior and its masterpieces

The disastrous earthquake

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

New roads for Catania

Searching for colour

A small room with a golden entrance

The theatre of taste

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The Burgos crucifix

An eagle-shaped city

Feasting in Palazzolo

Many owners, one palace

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

The Staircase of Angels

Norman apses

From International Gothic to present day

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The city of museums

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The two churches

A miniature city

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Baroque town by the sea

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A colourful floor

A symbol for the town

Feast days

Discovering the mother church

Wonderful quick decorations

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A square as the heart of the city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

One city, three sites

The wall comes to life

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A feast only for Scicli

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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