Noto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The harmonious architecture and homogeneity of Noto stone create such a scenic balance that the city looks as though it were built in one night.
Noto was actually built over half a century by various architects and craftspeople. Noto omogeneita e l'armonia archtettureThe work of the architect Angelo Italia was fundamental: he organised the city space and created splendid scenographic effects, transforming squares and streets into stages.
No less important was Rosario Gagliardi .
His constant presence in Noto allowed him to closely monitor all of his construction sites and to teach and prepare new, young architects. Upon his death, his works were completed by one of his students, Vincenzo Sinatra , who never forgot the expert’s teachings.
None of this could have been achieved without good basic organisation.
Thanks to Baron Giuseppe Asmundo, the land for constructing the new buildings was allocated fairly and the height of the buildings was also clearly defined. In this way, the buildings were all the same, creating a harmonious and homogeneous landscape.
The choice of white limestone , was also important.This local stone, when lit up by the sun, takes on a golden yellow colour reminiscent of honey.Its appearance has remained unchanged over the centuries; minimal interventions were made and you can still admire it in all its beauty and grace today.The effect is a landscape wrapped in an ethereal light.

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Some masterpieces

The Baroque town by the sea

From International Gothic to present day

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

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

The church of Carmine

Many owners, one palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A feast only for Scicli

The two churches

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A majestic and luminous church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Discovering the mother church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A colourful floor

The Burgos crucifix

Wonderful quick decorations

The disastrous earthquake

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Between white and black

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

One city, three sites

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Two illustrious patron saints

The Staircase of Angels

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A symbol for the town

A hall for the feasts

A museum to save a tradition

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

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

A new site for a new church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Feast days

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A triumph of colour

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The city of museums

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A miniature city

Some prestigious works

A talking palace

A prominent church

The interior and its masterpieces

A small room with a golden entrance

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A square as the heart of the city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The internal colours

New roads for Catania

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Norman apses

A long reconstruction

The theatre of taste

A half-Baroque church

The chocolate of Modica

A new site for a new city

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A city in colour

One city, two sites

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom