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 two churches

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, three sites

An eagle-shaped city

The chocolate of Modica

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new site for a new city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Staircase of Angels

Feast days

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A small room with a golden entrance

Discovering the mother church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

A new site for a new church

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The disastrous earthquake

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Baroque town by the sea

The church of Carmine

The colours of the cathedral

Prominent façade

The wall comes to life

The Burgos crucifix

A colourful floor

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Searching for colour

Many owners, one palace

Between white and black

A majestic and luminous church

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

New roads for Catania

A hall for the feasts

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A symbol for the town

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

A prominent church

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The internal colours

Norman apses

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A miniature city

The theatre of taste

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

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Some masterpieces

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

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

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

One city, two sites

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Two illustrious patron saints

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some prestigious works

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A feast only for Scicli

Wonderful quick decorations

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A half-Baroque church

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

From International Gothic to present day

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A talking palace

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