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

A hall for the feasts

One city, two sites

From International Gothic to present day

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

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

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

A small room with a golden entrance

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Many owners, one palace

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A colourful floor

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A symbol for the town

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

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

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

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

The theatre of taste

Some masterpieces

A talking palace

A majestic and luminous church

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A new site for a new city

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Searching for colour

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A city in colour

Two illustrious patron saints

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A square as the heart of the city

A prominent church

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

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The Burgos crucifix

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Staircase of Angels

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

Feast days

Connections with other UNESCO sites

A new site for a new church

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Wonderful quick decorations

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Modica, a city with ancient origins

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The church of Carmine

Discovering the mother church

A triumph of colour

One city, three sites

The internal colours

A miniature city

A museum to save a tradition

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

New roads for Catania

The two churches

The city of museums

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The wall comes to life

A long reconstruction

The chocolate of Modica

An eagle-shaped city

A half-Baroque church

Prominent façade

The Maiolica of the staircase

Some prestigious works

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Norman apses

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The disastrous earthquake

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

The Baroque town by the sea

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

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

Between white and black

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation