Noto

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Corbels are one of the most characteristic elements of the palaces of the Val di Noto. They make the façades of the noble buildings unique and animated. Carefully designed and sculpted by the best artisans, the corbels of Palazzo Nicolaci liven up the street that shares the same name.
Each one was created according to a precise design, “the virtues of the Nicolaci”. You can see winged horses with their front legs reaching out to freedom, and winged figures looking to the future.
The central door is followed by sirens, symbols of spirituality, and the balcony of chimeras , monstrous mythological creatures with a lion’s face, symbols of power.
At the beginning and end there are two large corbels dedicated to the Nicolaci family, who went from being simple merchants to barons then princes, all of which is depicted by the metaphor of a child who grows up and becomes an adult.
It is a symbolic building of Baroque architecture and the political and economic power achieved by the family.
sirena balcone chimera balcone lateralmente

The internal colours

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

An eagle-shaped city

The city of museums

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The church of Carmine

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

Many owners, one palace

A talking palace

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Feast days

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A hall for the feasts

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

The disastrous earthquake

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

One city, two sites

The wall comes to life

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

A square as the heart of the city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

The chocolate of Modica

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Between white and black

A triumph of colour

A small room with a golden entrance

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Norman apses

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A museum to save a tradition

A new site for a new city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A symbol for the town

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

A miniature city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

Discovering the mother church

A long reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

A new site for a new church

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

From International Gothic to present day

Some masterpieces

Prominent façade

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

A half-Baroque church

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Wonderful quick decorations

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A colourful floor

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

One city, three sites

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

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A city in colour

The two churches

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The interior and its masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca