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 Benedetto

Many owners, one palace

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

New roads for Catania

A feast only for Scicli

An eagle-shaped city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Connections with other UNESCO sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

A long reconstruction

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

From International Gothic to present day

Feast days

A new site for a new city

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

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A square as the heart of the city

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Staircase of Angels

Wonderful quick decorations

Between white and black

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

Some prestigious works

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A colourful floor

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The chocolate of Modica

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The two churches

Norman apses

Some masterpieces

The Baroque town by the sea

A half-Baroque church

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

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

Prominent façade

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

A symbol for the town

The theatre of taste

Discovering the mother church

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

A new site for a new church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A city in colour

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The Maiolica of the staircase

One city, three sites

The colours of the cathedral

A triumph of colour

One city, two sites

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

A talking palace

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

The internal colours

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Searching for colour

The disastrous earthquake

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The Burgos crucifix

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph