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 city of museums

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The wall comes to life

A half-Baroque church

A majestic and luminous church

Feast days

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The two churches

Two illustrious patron saints

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A prominent church

One city, three sites

A square as the heart of the city

The Maiolica of the staircase

A triumph of colour

Many owners, one palace

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A feast only for Scicli

The internal colours

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new site for a new city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Between white and black

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A city in colour

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Norman apses

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Prominent façade

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

One city, two sites

Some prestigious works

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

The Baroque town by the sea

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

New roads for Catania

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Staircase of Angels

A colourful floor

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Discovering the mother church

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The Burgos crucifix

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A long reconstruction

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A miniature city

The chocolate of Modica

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The church of Carmine

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Some masterpieces

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A hall for the feasts

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A museum to save a tradition

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new church

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Connections with other UNESCO sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feasting in Palazzolo

A symbol for the town

An eagle-shaped city

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The colours of the cathedral

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A talking palace

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

Searching for colour

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata