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 Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

A new site for a new church

A square as the heart of the city

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

An eagle-shaped city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A museum to save a tradition

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

The chocolate of Modica

A feast only for Scicli

The two churches

New roads for Catania

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A talking palace

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The colours of the cathedral

Searching for colour

The wall comes to life

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The disastrous earthquake

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A triumph of colour

One city, three sites

Between white and black

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

Norman apses

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A hall for the feasts

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A new site for a new city

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The interior and its masterpieces

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

From International Gothic to present day

The Burgos crucifix

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A miniature city

The Staircase of Angels

A colourful floor

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The city of museums

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A long reconstruction

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Baroque town by the sea

The theatre of taste

A half-Baroque church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

One city, two sites

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A symbol for the town

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

A majestic and luminous church

A city in colour

Discovering the mother church

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Prominent façade

A small room with a golden entrance

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Two illustrious patron saints

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some masterpieces

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some prestigious works

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

The church of Carmine