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 Santa Maria del Carmelo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A majestic and luminous church

The city of museums

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The internal colours

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feast days

Some prestigious works

A city in colour

The Maiolica of the staircase

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A square as the heart of the city

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

A triumph of colour

A half-Baroque church

The church of Carmine

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The Staircase of Angels

The disastrous earthquake

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Modica, a city with ancient origins

From International Gothic to present day

A colourful floor

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

One city, three sites

The Baroque town by the sea

A hall for the feasts

The wall comes to life

Searching for colour

A feast only for Scicli

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new site for a new church

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Wonderful quick decorations

The chocolate of Modica

A museum to save a tradition

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Two illustrious patron saints

The theatre of taste

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A long reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Prominent façade

A talking palace

An eagle-shaped city

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A small room with a golden entrance

Many owners, one palace

Between white and black

A miniature city

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

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

A symbol for the town

New roads for Catania

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The interior and its masterpieces

Some masterpieces

The Burgos crucifix

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

The two churches

Norman apses

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

A prominent church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The colours of the cathedral

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

Discovering the mother church