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.

A prominent church

The Maiolica of the staircase

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some masterpieces

A hall for the feasts

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

The chocolate of Modica

Norman apses

A small room with a golden entrance

From International Gothic to present day

A talking palace

Prominent façade

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Discovering the mother church

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Staircase of Angels

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A square as the heart of the city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A colourful floor

An eagle-shaped city

Many owners, one palace

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

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A feast only for Scicli

Wonderful quick decorations

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Between white and black

Searching for colour

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

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The internal colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new site for a new city

A museum to save a tradition

A triumph of colour

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The disastrous earthquake

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

The Baroque town by the sea

The colours of the cathedral

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The interior and its masterpieces

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A miniature city

The city of museums

Feasting in Palazzolo

A majestic and luminous church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The two churches

One city, three sites

Some prestigious works

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feast days

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The church of Carmine