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.

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The two churches

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The chocolate of Modica

Some prestigious works

New roads for Catania

The wall comes to life

Feast days

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A colourful floor

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The Staircase of Angels

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

A majestic and luminous church

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A talking palace

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Discovering the mother church

The internal colours

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A feast only for Scicli

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

The interior and its masterpieces

From International Gothic to present day

The Maiolica of the staircase

Norman apses

The colours of the cathedral

Searching for colour

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A city in colour

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Feasting in Palazzolo

The city of museums

One city, three sites

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

The Burgos crucifix

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Between white and black

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

A new site for a new city

St. Sebastian, so much work!

An eagle-shaped city

The disastrous earthquake

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A square as the heart of the city

Two illustrious patron saints

The theatre of taste

A museum to save a tradition

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A prominent church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Many owners, one palace

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

A triumph of colour

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Wonderful quick decorations

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The church of Carmine

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Baroque town by the sea

A hall for the feasts

A symbol for the town

A half-Baroque church

Prominent façade

One city, two sites

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Some masterpieces

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A long reconstruction