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 the Benedictine Monastery and San NicoIò l’Arena

A majestic and luminous church

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Between white and black

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

A triumph of colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Many owners, one palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

The theatre of taste

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

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

A square as the heart of the city

A symbol for the town

One city, two sites

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The colours of the cathedral

St. Sebastian, so much work!

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Norman apses

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The disastrous earthquake

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The wall comes to life

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The church of Carmine

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

Some masterpieces

A half-Baroque church

A miniature city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

A colourful floor

The Staircase of Angels

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A museum to save a tradition

The Burgos crucifix

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Feasting in Palazzolo

Wonderful quick decorations

A long reconstruction

From International Gothic to present day

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Two illustrious patron saints

The Maiolica of the staircase

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The two churches

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A new site for a new church

A feast only for Scicli

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The chocolate of Modica

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The internal colours

A prominent church

Feast days

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Searching for colour

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

An eagle-shaped city

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A hall for the feasts

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Prominent façade

The Baroque town by the sea

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Discovering the mother church

A new site for a new city

The interior and its masterpieces

A talking palace

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

One city, three sites

Some prestigious works

A city in colour

The city of museums

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