A civil engineer and architect, the son of the more famous Francesco Paolo Labisi, he oversaw the works on the new body of Palazzo Trigona. The commissioner Bernardo Trigona had such a long-standing relationship with Paolo Labisi that he baptised his son with the same name as the Marquis. He als...

Cagnoli or cagnuoli is the dialect word for balcony corbels. They can be highly diverse in shape, and are also called mascheroni (masks) that often have allegorical meanings....

The origins of the Trigona family are linked to Piazza Armerina and perhaps even before that, to French origins from the castle of Trigone in Picardy. They later settled in Noto and had a slow but effective ascent thanks to their skills and obtained the trust of the most powerful feudal lords....

A portico is an architectural element that acts as a filter between the interior space of the building and the exterior, usually defined by arcades. The element is rarely used in Sicilian Baroque architecture....

Ducezio was a charismatic condottiero (captain) who was probably born in Noto. His first undertaking as an autonomous general was the conquest of the current town of Paternò, then under the influence of Syracuse. He wanted to give back to the Sicilians the lands where the Greek mercenaries had ...

Costantino Carasi, who has been much studied and appreciated in recent years, could be considered one of the most active painters who worked in the late 18th century, often in the shadow of more famous names. He was born in Noto in 1717 and after noting the sense of renewal of Italian and early-18...

Mixtilinear is the style of a line that may at times be broken (i.e. form angles of various sizes) and at other times be curved. Mixtilinear elements allow sudden changes of direction in the design of façades and architectural elements, which is why they are characteristic of the dynamism of Baro...

The term "coupled" means two equal twin elements. Coupled pilasters are two pilasters that are close together....

The Society of Jesus was founded by Ignatius of Loyola, of noble Basque origin. In 1534, together with some of his companions, he made a vow to preach from Paris to the Holy Land. The Societas iesu or Society of Jesus is a male religious institution that observes the vow of total obedience to the...

Numerous stuccoes decorate the five domes, while the altars of the naves are in polychrome marble. In the left nave there is an altar with a Crucifix and various marble panels with scenes from the Passion. The altars are interspersed with valuable paintings including that of San Domenico che ric...