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 miniature city

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

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

The two churches

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A half-Baroque church

The theatre of taste

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

From International Gothic to present day

Some prestigious works

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

One city, two sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A square as the heart of the city

A new site for a new city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The disastrous earthquake

A new site for a new church

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

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

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

Some masterpieces

Discovering the mother church

The Burgos crucifix

Searching for colour

The internal colours

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A triumph of colour

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A symbol for the town

Between white and black

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A museum to save a tradition

The chocolate of Modica

The church of Carmine

Feasting in Palazzolo

New roads for Catania

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A colourful floor

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Wonderful quick decorations

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The city of museums

The colours of the cathedral

The wall comes to life

The Maiolica of the staircase

One city, three sites

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Norman apses

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

A majestic and luminous church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A small room with a golden entrance

Modica, a city with ancient origins

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A prominent church

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The Baroque town by the sea

A hall for the feasts

Prominent façade

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A talking palace

A long reconstruction

The Staircase of Angels

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The interior and its masterpieces

A city in colour

Feast days

Many owners, one palace

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family