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.

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Staircase of Angels

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Baroque town by the sea

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

Some prestigious works

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A talking palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A colourful floor

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A new site for a new city

Between white and black

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

One city, two sites

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

One city, three sites

A city in colour

Feasting in Palazzolo

A museum to save a tradition

New roads for Catania

Two illustrious patron saints

The city of museums

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

An eagle-shaped city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The interior and its masterpieces

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A square as the heart of the city

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

A triumph of colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Norman apses

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The church of Carmine

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

The Burgos crucifix

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The disastrous earthquake

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

Prominent façade

Feast days

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The chocolate of Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new site for a new church

A miniature city

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A long reconstruction

A symbol for the town

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

Searching for colour

Many owners, one palace

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A feast only for Scicli

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

The internal colours

The two churches

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The wall comes to life

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A prominent church

The colours of the cathedral

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A majestic and luminous church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A small room with a golden entrance

Discovering the mother church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A half-Baroque church