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.

Feast days

A triumph of colour

A symbol for the town

The wall comes to life

The interior and its masterpieces

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new site for a new city

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

From International Gothic to present day

The chocolate of Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

Searching for colour

A long reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A square as the heart of the city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A colourful floor

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

One city, two sites

Between white and black

The theatre of taste

A prominent church

Prominent façade

The church of Carmine

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The disastrous earthquake

A museum to save a tradition

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Feasting in Palazzolo

New roads for Catania

The Staircase of Angels

Many owners, one palace

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Norman apses

One city, three sites

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

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The internal colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

An eagle-shaped city

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

A city in colour

The two churches

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Some masterpieces

The city of museums

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Two illustrious patron saints

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A small room with a golden entrance

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

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

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

A feast only for Scicli

A miniature city

The Baroque town by the sea

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A majestic and luminous church

The Burgos crucifix

Some prestigious works

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

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

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new site for a new church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci