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 Burgos crucifix

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A prominent church

A city in colour

From International Gothic to present day

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

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

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

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

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

A new site for a new city

Feasting in Palazzolo

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A small room with a golden entrance

The city of museums

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A talking palace

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

A half-Baroque church

One city, two sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The wall comes to life

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Maiolica of the staircase

The internal colours

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A square as the heart of the city

The Staircase of Angels

Some prestigious works

The disastrous earthquake

A colourful floor

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

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Some masterpieces

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Baroque town by the sea

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Two illustrious patron saints

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The colours of the cathedral

A miniature city

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Feast days

New roads for Catania

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

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A hall for the feasts

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

A long reconstruction

The two churches

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Between white and black

The chocolate of Modica

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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

One city, three sites

The church of Carmine

The interior and its masterpieces

A triumph of colour

A museum to save a tradition

Searching for colour

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

A majestic and luminous church

Wonderful quick decorations

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The theatre of taste

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

Many owners, one palace

Discovering the mother church

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

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

A new site for a new church

Prominent façade

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century