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 design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Some prestigious works

The church of Carmine

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

Norman apses

The chocolate of Modica

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

A long reconstruction

Between white and black

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

The theatre of taste

Many owners, one palace

A half-Baroque church

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new site for a new church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The colours of the cathedral

The Burgos crucifix

Prominent façade

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From International Gothic to present day

New roads for Catania

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

One city, two sites

A majestic and luminous church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

Two illustrious patron saints

Feast days

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A triumph of colour

A colourful floor

The Baroque town by the sea

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

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

A hall for the feasts

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Wonderful quick decorations

A museum to save a tradition

The disastrous earthquake

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

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

One city, three sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The two churches

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A symbol for the town

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The wall comes to life

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Feasting in Palazzolo

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A square as the heart of the city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Searching for colour

A feast only for Scicli

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A miniature city

A small room with a golden entrance

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The internal colours

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

An eagle-shaped city

The interior and its masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new site for a new city