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 Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The chocolate of Modica

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Some masterpieces

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The internal colours

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

Wonderful quick decorations

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Norman apses

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The city of museums

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Searching for colour

The Staircase of Angels

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A square as the heart of the city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Two illustrious patron saints

One city, two sites

The wall comes to life

A hall for the feasts

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A triumph of colour

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Feast days

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Discovering the mother church

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Prominent façade

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Baroque town by the sea

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

A new site for a new church

A talking palace

A small room with a golden entrance

A colourful floor

A city in colour

An eagle-shaped city

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Feasting in Palazzolo

The disastrous earthquake

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Burgos crucifix

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

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

The church of Carmine

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The two churches

A symbol for the town

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, three sites

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Maiolica of the staircase

The interior and its masterpieces

A new site for a new city

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

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A long reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

Between white and black

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Some prestigious works

From International Gothic to present day

A museum to save a tradition

New roads for Catania

A majestic and luminous church

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A prominent church

A half-Baroque church

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

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

Many owners, one palace

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A miniature city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)