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.

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A symbol for the town

One city, three sites

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A long reconstruction

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

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A miniature city

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Some prestigious works

A museum to save a tradition

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

A half-Baroque church

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

The wall comes to life

A triumph of colour

The interior and its masterpieces

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Feast days

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From International Gothic to present day

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

Discovering the mother church

An eagle-shaped city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The two churches

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A small room with a golden entrance

Norman apses

A feast only for Scicli

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A majestic and luminous church

Prominent façade

New roads for Catania

The Baroque town by the sea

The internal colours

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The church of Carmine

A talking palace

A colourful floor

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Feasting in Palazzolo

The city of museums

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

The chocolate of Modica

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A new site for a new city

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A city in colour

Searching for colour

The Staircase of Angels

Between white and black

A hall for the feasts

Some masterpieces

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Maiolica of the staircase

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

One city, two sites

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

A prominent church

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The theatre of taste

The Burgos crucifix

Two illustrious patron saints

Wonderful quick decorations

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation