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.

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A majestic and luminous church

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

Wonderful quick decorations

Two illustrious patron saints

The colours of the cathedral

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

Prominent façade

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A long reconstruction

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Modica, a city with ancient origins

One city, two sites

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

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

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

An eagle-shaped city

A miniature city

A half-Baroque church

From International Gothic to present day

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A talking palace

The disastrous earthquake

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A new site for a new city

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

The two churches

The internal colours

The interior and its masterpieces

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Maiolica of the staircase

The theatre of taste

Feasting in Palazzolo

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

A colourful floor

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feast days

The Baroque town by the sea

A museum to save a tradition

A square as the heart of the city

Searching for colour

The Staircase of Angels

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A city in colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, three sites

Between white and black

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

A small room with a golden entrance

A triumph of colour

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Norman apses

The wall comes to life

Discovering the mother church

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

A symbol for the town

The church of Carmine

New roads for Catania

A new site for a new church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Some prestigious works

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

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

A hall for the feasts

Many owners, one palace

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some masterpieces

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

A prominent church