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.

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Maiolica of the staircase

The chocolate of Modica

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

Prominent façade

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

A miniature city

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

From International Gothic to present day

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

St. Sebastian, so much work!

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

Many owners, one palace

A colourful floor

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The Baroque town by the sea

Wonderful quick decorations

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

Between white and black

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The two churches

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The theatre of taste

Searching for colour

The internal colours

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A feast only for Scicli

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new city

One city, two sites

A museum to save a tradition

Norman apses

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

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A majestic and luminous church

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A symbol for the town

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A city in colour

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new church

New roads for Catania

A triumph of colour

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Feast days

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

An eagle-shaped city

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

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

Some masterpieces

The colours of the cathedral

The Burgos crucifix

A half-Baroque church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The interior and its masterpieces

The disastrous earthquake

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

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

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

The city of museums

The church of Carmine

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

One city, three sites

A square as the heart of the city

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A small room with a golden entrance

The wall comes to life

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

A prominent church

Some prestigious works

A long reconstruction

A talking palace

The Staircase of Angels

Discovering the mother church

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano