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.

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, two sites

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A square as the heart of the city

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

The Burgos crucifix

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A long reconstruction

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Searching for colour

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A city in colour

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

A majestic and luminous church

A new site for a new church

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A small room with a golden entrance

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

The internal colours

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

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The church of Carmine

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

A half-Baroque church

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A talking palace

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Some prestigious works

A colourful floor

A miniature city

New roads for Catania

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A prominent church

The chocolate of Modica

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A triumph of colour

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Feast days

From International Gothic to present day

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new site for a new city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The theatre of taste

The Staircase of Angels

Discovering the mother church

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Some masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The wall comes to life

Between white and black

An eagle-shaped city

Prominent façade

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Norman apses

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A symbol for the town

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

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

One city, three sites

The Baroque town by the sea

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

Two illustrious patron saints

Many owners, one palace

The two churches

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The colours of the cathedral

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The city of museums

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

Feasting in Palazzolo

The Maiolica of the staircase

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A hall for the feasts

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A feast only for Scicli