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 San Giuliano ai Crociferi

The Burgos crucifix

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The two churches

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Feast days

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Between white and black

An eagle-shaped city

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A square as the heart of the city

Some masterpieces

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Baroque town by the sea

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The theatre of taste

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

The interior and its masterpieces

Searching for colour

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A museum to save a tradition

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A miniature city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

A city in colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A half-Baroque church

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

A majestic and luminous church

A feast only for Scicli

The Staircase of Angels

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The disastrous earthquake

The city of museums

Two illustrious patron saints

New roads for Catania

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

Some prestigious works

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A prominent church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A symbol for the town

A long reconstruction

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A talking palace

A new site for a new city

A triumph of colour

The internal colours

From International Gothic to present day

The colours of the cathedral

A colourful floor

The wall comes to life

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

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

One city, two sites

The chocolate of Modica

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Many owners, one palace

The church of Carmine

The façade used as a puppet theatre

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Norman apses

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Discovering the mother church

A small room with a golden entrance

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Prominent façade

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Wonderful quick decorations

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara