Noto

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The harmonious architecture and homogeneity of Noto stone create such a scenic balance that the city looks as though it were built in one night.
Noto was actually built over half a century by various architects and craftspeople. Noto omogeneita e l'armonia archtettureThe work of the architect Angelo Italia was fundamental: he organised the city space and created splendid scenographic effects, transforming squares and streets into stages.
No less important was Rosario Gagliardi .
His constant presence in Noto allowed him to closely monitor all of his construction sites and to teach and prepare new, young architects. Upon his death, his works were completed by one of his students, Vincenzo Sinatra , who never forgot the expert’s teachings.
None of this could have been achieved without good basic organisation.
Thanks to Baron Giuseppe Asmundo, the land for constructing the new buildings was allocated fairly and the height of the buildings was also clearly defined. In this way, the buildings were all the same, creating a harmonious and homogeneous landscape.
The choice of white limestone , was also important.This local stone, when lit up by the sun, takes on a golden yellow colour reminiscent of honey.Its appearance has remained unchanged over the centuries; minimal interventions were made and you can still admire it in all its beauty and grace today.The effect is a landscape wrapped in an ethereal light.

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feast days

A city in colour

The city of museums

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A feast only for Scicli

Between white and black

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A square as the heart of the city

A half-Baroque church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Discovering the mother church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The chocolate of Modica

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Feasting in Palazzolo

A new site for a new city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Norman apses

A museum to save a tradition

The two churches

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A hall for the feasts

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The wall comes to life

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Wonderful quick decorations

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

One city, two sites

The disastrous earthquake

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Baroque town by the sea

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A symbol for the town

A triumph of colour

A prominent church

One city, three sites

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

The interior and its masterpieces

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A new site for a new church

An eagle-shaped city

The internal colours

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A colourful floor

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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

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

The Staircase of Angels

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A long reconstruction

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

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

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

From International Gothic to present day

A majestic and luminous church

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

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

Prominent façade

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A talking palace

A small room with a golden entrance

The Burgos crucifix

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Searching for colour

Many owners, one palace

The church of Carmine

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The theatre of taste

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Two illustrious patron saints

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

New roads for Catania

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

Some masterpieces

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra