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.

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

A talking palace

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A majestic and luminous church

A long reconstruction

A prominent church

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Norman apses

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

An eagle-shaped city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The theatre of taste

The Staircase of Angels

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

One city, three sites

From International Gothic to present day

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A city in colour

A triumph of colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A half-Baroque church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Many owners, one palace

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

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Burgos crucifix

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A symbol for the town

The wall comes to life

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

A small room with a golden entrance

New roads for Catania

A square as the heart of the city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Discovering the mother church

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

A miniature city

A colourful floor

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

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Between white and black

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

A new site for a new city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A new site for a new church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Maiolica of the staircase

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Prominent façade

The two churches

Wonderful quick decorations

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A museum to save a tradition

Some prestigious works

Some masterpieces

Two illustrious patron saints

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Feasting in Palazzolo

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The disastrous earthquake

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A feast only for Scicli

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Searching for colour

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The internal colours

The Baroque town by the sea

The church of Carmine

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe