Introduction to Val di Noto

Fantasies of light and colour

Introduction to the route

The proposed educational route retraces the main events of the history of the Val di Noto.
Through the suggested itineraries it intends to lead younger children along their discovery of the eight towns: Catania, Militello in Val di Catania, Caltagirone, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, Palazzolo Acreide and Noto.
This is a unique chance and opportunity to examine a territory rich in history.
Following the tragic earthquake of 1693, the towns of the Val di Noto were rebuilt with such homogeneity and richness from an artistic and architectural point of view that they were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The post-earthquake reconstruction is examined through many aspects that revolve around the brightness of paint colours, effects and plays on light and shadow that make the heritage a particularly fascinating and completely unusual sight. As well as featuring prominently in the lively character of the communities that inhabit these places, colour accompanies our gaze in a conscious interpretation of architectural shapes and unique landscapes, becoming an inspiration for artisanal production, too.
The children, then, can expect to experience many, powerful emotions.

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The church of Carmine

The internal colours

Feasting in Palazzolo

Discovering the mother church

The city of museums

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

New roads for Catania

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new church

Feast days

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

A triumph of colour

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A square as the heart of the city

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Many owners, one palace

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

A feast only for Scicli

An eagle-shaped city

The Baroque town by the sea

The disastrous earthquake

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Prominent façade

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Norman apses

A long reconstruction

A talking palace

A half-Baroque church

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

From International Gothic to present day

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Staircase of Angels

Two illustrious patron saints

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A new site for a new city

Some masterpieces

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A hall for the feasts

Wonderful quick decorations

A museum to save a tradition

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

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

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The two churches

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

A symbol for the town

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Burgos crucifix

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A colourful floor

Between white and black

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Some prestigious works

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

A small room with a golden entrance

The theatre of taste

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A city in colour

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A miniature city

The wall comes to life

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

One city, three sites

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A prominent church

The chocolate of Modica

One city, two sites

A majestic and luminous church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras