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 Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Some prestigious works

A talking palace

A new site for a new church

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

One city, three sites

Feasting in Palazzolo

The church of Carmine

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The colours of the cathedral

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

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The chocolate of Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, two sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Searching for colour

The disastrous earthquake

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

Wonderful quick decorations

Prominent façade

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The interior and its masterpieces

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A prominent church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Between white and black

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A colourful floor

The city of museums

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A miniature city

A small room with a golden entrance

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new site for a new city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

The Burgos crucifix

The Staircase of Angels

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A triumph of colour

The wall comes to life

Some masterpieces

A symbol for the town

A square as the heart of the city

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The two churches

Two illustrious patron saints

The theatre of taste

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Feast days

New roads for Catania

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A feast only for Scicli

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

An eagle-shaped city

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Norman apses

A long reconstruction