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 Burgos crucifix

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Many owners, one palace

A hall for the feasts

A new site for a new church

The Baroque town by the sea

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Searching for colour

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Some prestigious works

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Some masterpieces

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Prominent façade

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A colourful floor

A talking palace

Feasting in Palazzolo

The colours of the cathedral

One city, three sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Between white and black

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

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

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

A museum to save a tradition

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

An eagle-shaped city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

One city, two sites

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The internal colours

The disastrous earthquake

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

A prominent church

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A feast only for Scicli

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The two churches

Wonderful quick decorations

The Staircase of Angels

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

Norman apses

A half-Baroque church

Discovering the mother church

The church of Carmine

The façade used as a puppet theatre

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A majestic and luminous church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new site for a new city

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The chocolate of Modica

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

A city in colour

From International Gothic to present day

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A miniature city

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The wall comes to life

The city of museums

Feast days

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A square as the heart of the city

A symbol for the town

A triumph of colour

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A long reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Connections with other UNESCO sites

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