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.

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Discovering the mother church

The internal colours

Norman apses

Some prestigious works

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Prominent façade

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feast days

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

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The chocolate of Modica

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The wall comes to life

A talking palace

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A symbol for the town

The church of Carmine

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A triumph of colour

A museum to save a tradition

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

The interior and its masterpieces

A square as the heart of the city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new church

New roads for Catania

Between white and black

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

One city, three sites

A city in colour

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The disastrous earthquake

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Maiolica of the staircase

Wonderful quick decorations

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A small room with a golden entrance

A feast only for Scicli

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A majestic and luminous church

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A new site for a new city

An eagle-shaped city

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Some masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A miniature city

One city, two sites

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

The Burgos crucifix

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Searching for colour

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A half-Baroque church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The city of museums

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The theatre of taste

A colourful floor

Many owners, one palace

Two illustrious patron saints

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

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

From International Gothic to present day

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The colours of the cathedral

St. Sebastian, so much work!

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A prominent church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The two churches

A hall for the feasts