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.

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

A talking palace

Between white and black

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A symbol for the town

The Maiolica of the staircase

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Wonderful quick decorations

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The interior and its masterpieces

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The theatre of taste

A long reconstruction

A new site for a new church

Feasting in Palazzolo

A half-Baroque church

Some prestigious works

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The wall comes to life

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A prominent church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The two churches

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

An eagle-shaped city

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

A triumph of colour

The Baroque town by the sea

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new city

A feast only for Scicli

New roads for Catania

Two illustrious patron saints

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The chocolate of Modica

The church of Carmine

One city, two sites

From International Gothic to present day

A square as the heart of the city

Some masterpieces

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

The disastrous earthquake

The colours of the cathedral

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A colourful floor

Many owners, one palace

A hall for the feasts

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

One city, three sites

Feast days

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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

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

The Burgos crucifix

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Searching for colour

Norman apses

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

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Staircase of Angels

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

The city of museums

A city in colour

A miniature city

Prominent façade