Noto

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Thanks to a recent restoration, Palazzo Nicolaci can be appreciated in all its original beauty and is one of the symbols of Sicilian Baroque art. It was the city’s noble residence of the Nicolaci family and has four storeys: the ground floor was used for stables and storing food; the first floor was the piano nobile (main floor) where the Baron lived; the rest of the family stayed on the upper floor, and the attic was for the servants. portale d’accesso con balconeThe entrance portal is framed by two columns and is surmounted by a large balcony.
The façade is a street theatre reminiscent of the theatre of Sicilian puppets because of the masks and characters carved into it.
Anyone passing through Via Corrado Nicolaci is in awe of the incredible corbels . Five for each balcony, they depict mythological figures including mermaids, sphinxes and horses. Each corbel is richly decorated, almost as though in fear of leaving even the smallest of spaces free.
Such attention to decoration can be found in the cornices around the windows; they feature plant elements, human faces and masks.
As for the material used, it is the typical stone of Noto which turns a honey colour when hit by the sun and emits endless colours depending on the time of day.

balcone, con finestra con sirene dettaglio sirena

A majestic and luminous church

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The church of Carmine

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Two illustrious patron saints

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Many owners, one palace

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

One city, three sites

Some masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

A feast only for Scicli

The chocolate of Modica

A city in colour

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

A prominent church

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A triumph of colour

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A symbol for the town

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

New roads for Catania

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The theatre of taste

A hall for the feasts

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

Norman apses

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

From International Gothic to present day

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A colourful floor

A long reconstruction

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Feast days

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

The Staircase of Angels

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The interior and its masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

The two churches

A half-Baroque church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The wall comes to life

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

A talking palace

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A new site for a new city

Some prestigious works

The colours of the cathedral

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

An eagle-shaped city

Searching for colour

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

A square as the heart of the city

The city of museums

The disastrous earthquake

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Wonderful quick decorations

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

One city, two sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

Prominent façade

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Between white and black