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.

Prominent façade

Some masterpieces

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The Staircase of Angels

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Limestone, the colour of harmony

New roads for Catania

Wonderful quick decorations

A new site for a new city

The internal colours

The city of museums

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A museum to save a tradition

Some prestigious works

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

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

The Burgos crucifix

One city, two sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, three sites

A prominent church

Feasting in Palazzolo

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A square as the heart of the city

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The interior and its masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A half-Baroque church

A miniature city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A long reconstruction

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The church of Carmine

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Norman apses

The wall comes to life

Feast days

Two illustrious patron saints

The colours of the cathedral

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Many owners, one palace

A symbol for the town

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The two churches

A triumph of colour

The Baroque town by the sea

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

From International Gothic to present day

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A hall for the feasts

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

Between white and black

A city in colour

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

The disastrous earthquake

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A colourful floor

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

An eagle-shaped city

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

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A feast only for Scicli

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The theatre of taste

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A majestic and luminous church

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

Searching for colour

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?