Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

sight
A panorama over Noto

The terrace of Santa Chiara will take your breath away! Partly because of all the stairs you have to climb, but more so for the spectacular view.
The whole city of Noto is below you, where infinite shades of colours embellish the landscape.
The green of the trees and surrounding hills; the blue of the sea that shines brightly in the distance, illuminated by the sun like a carpet of diamonds; and the golden cathedral of San Nicolò whose façade and round dome can be seen. A show of lights and colours!vista dalla terrazza di Santa Chiara

touch
The warm stucco

The gilded stuccoes on the ceiling of Santa Chiara (St. Claire) shine in the sunlight.
To the touch they will always be warmer than any other cold marble statue or sculpture, which are unable to retain heat.
Like stucco, wood will also always be warmer than this precious and ice-cold stone.

hearing
A gentle song

The nuns’singing was remarkable.
During religious services the church was filled with sweet voices and gentle songs alternating with delicate prayers.
If you return to the 18th century in your mind you can still hear the engrossed nuns singing Gloria del Signore (Glory of the Lord).

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A symbol for the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

An eagle-shaped city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Wonderful quick decorations

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A square as the heart of the city

The two churches

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Feast days

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

New roads for Catania

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

A miniature city

Many owners, one palace

A small room with a golden entrance

A Nobel Prize in Modica

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

One city, two sites

A majestic and luminous church

Two illustrious patron saints

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Baroque town by the sea

One city, three sites

A half-Baroque church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The colours of the cathedral

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

The Staircase of Angels

Norman apses

A new site for a new city

A hall for the feasts

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

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

A prominent church

The city of museums

A museum to save a tradition

The wall comes to life

The theatre of taste

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The chocolate of Modica

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A long reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A feast only for Scicli

The church of Carmine

Prominent façade

Between white and black

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

A talking palace

Searching for colour

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The internal colours

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Some masterpieces

The disastrous earthquake

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Discovering the mother church

The Burgos crucifix

A city in colour