Noto

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The city was rebuilt in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake, and when the significant powers, clergy and aristocracy asked for their palaces to be rebuilt, it was the Baron Asmundo who divided the land perfectly.
Since the heart of the city in the lower area was the Cathedral, that was where the new palaces were built.Palazzo Nicolaci salendo via Nicolaci verso la chiesa To the right of the church are the religious buildings, the Archbishop’s Palace and the monastery of the Holy Saviour; on the land to the left the residences of the most influential aristocratic families in Noto were built, Palazzo Landolina and Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata.
The latter was built between 1720 and 1750 by Don Giacomo Nicolaci , on the present day Via Corrado Nicolaci.
The question of who the architect was has never been resolved; there are many theories and few certainties. However, it remains one of the most interesting and surprising buildings in Noto for the exuberant corbels that support the balconies of the façade and the round-bottomed wrought iron railings.

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A triumph of colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The wall comes to life

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A symbol for the town

Discovering the mother church

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One city, two sites

One city, three sites

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

A new site for a new city

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

Searching for colour

A long reconstruction

The Staircase of Angels

A hall for the feasts

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

The interior and its masterpieces

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Burgos crucifix

Norman apses

A square as the heart of the city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A small room with a golden entrance

Two illustrious patron saints

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The colours of the cathedral

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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From International Gothic to present day

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chocolate of Modica

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The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The church of Carmine

Many owners, one palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Some masterpieces

Feasting in Palazzolo

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

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

Some prestigious works

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The internal colours

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Prominent façade

A miniature city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Baroque town by the sea

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A majestic and luminous church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A museum to save a tradition

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A prominent church

The theatre of taste

New roads for Catania

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A city in colour

An eagle-shaped city

A talking palace

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Wonderful quick decorations

The two churches

A new site for a new church

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A feast only for Scicli

A half-Baroque church

A colourful floor

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Between white and black

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The city of museums