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.

New roads for Catania

The façade used as a puppet theatre

From International Gothic to present day

The disastrous earthquake

The Baroque town by the sea

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Wonderful quick decorations

Many owners, one palace

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

A city in colour

Searching for colour

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

The Burgos crucifix

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A new site for a new church

A square as the heart of the city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Discovering the mother church

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A miniature city

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A small room with a golden entrance

A hall for the feasts

Between white and black

Prominent façade

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The wall comes to life

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

One city, three sites

The Staircase of Angels

A prominent church

The Maiolica of the staircase

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A triumph of colour

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The church of Carmine

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

A long reconstruction

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A feast only for Scicli

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The interior and its masterpieces

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Some prestigious works

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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

One city, two sites

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

The chocolate of Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

A museum to save a tradition

An eagle-shaped city

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

The theatre of taste

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The two churches

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Norman apses

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

Feast days

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A new site for a new city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Some masterpieces

The internal colours

A talking palace

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

A majestic and luminous church

A half-Baroque church

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

Two illustrious patron saints

Feasting in Palazzolo

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A colourful floor