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.

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

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

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

Searching for colour

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

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

Norman apses

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A museum to save a tradition

Many owners, one palace

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A colourful floor

A square as the heart of the city

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Burgos crucifix

Feast days

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The theatre of taste

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Two illustrious patron saints

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The internal colours

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A hall for the feasts

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A small room with a golden entrance

The wall comes to life

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

One city, three sites

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new site for a new city

Prominent façade

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

An eagle-shaped city

Discovering the mother church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A feast only for Scicli

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A triumph of colour

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Some prestigious works

The colours of the cathedral

A symbol for the town

The disastrous earthquake

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A half-Baroque church

A miniature city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The two churches

Between white and black

Wonderful quick decorations

The church of Carmine

New roads for Catania

A talking palace

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Some masterpieces

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new church

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

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, two sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The city of museums

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A prominent church

From International Gothic to present day

A city in colour

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Staircase of Angels

A majestic and luminous church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Baroque town by the sea

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A long reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo