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.

Searching for colour

A majestic and luminous church

A miniature city

A feast only for Scicli

Some masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A talking palace

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

One city, three sites

Discovering the mother church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A half-Baroque church

The two churches

A symbol for the town

A hall for the feasts

The internal colours

The Staircase of Angels

A new site for a new city

From International Gothic to present day

One city, two sites

The theatre of taste

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Many owners, one palace

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A triumph of colour

The wall comes to life

Prominent façade

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 Giovanni Evangelista

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A new site for a new church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A colourful floor

The church of Carmine

The chocolate of Modica

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The city of museums

Norman apses

A small room with a golden entrance

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Between white and black

The Maiolica of the staircase

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The disastrous earthquake

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

An eagle-shaped city

A square as the heart of the city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A museum to save a tradition

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Burgos crucifix

A prominent church

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Two illustrious patron saints

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A long reconstruction

A city in colour

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo