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.

An eagle-shaped city

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

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

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

Feast days

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From International Gothic to present day

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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

Discovering the mother church

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

The two churches

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

A feast only for Scicli

The chocolate of Modica

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

A majestic and luminous church

Feasting in Palazzolo

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A talking palace

A long reconstruction

Between white and black

Many owners, one palace

A small room with a golden entrance

One city, three sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The Staircase of Angels

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

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

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

The Maiolica of the staircase

Limestone, the colour of harmony

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The colours of the cathedral

A symbol for the town

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

New roads for Catania

A half-Baroque church

A triumph of colour

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A miniature city

The internal colours

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Some prestigious works

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

A new site for a new city

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Norman apses

Searching for colour

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

A hall for the feasts

The theatre of taste

The Burgos crucifix

The church of Carmine

The Baroque town by the sea

A city in colour

A prominent church

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A colourful floor

The wall comes to life

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

A new site for a new church

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The city of museums

Some masterpieces

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

Wonderful quick decorations

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, two sites

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The interior and its masterpieces

A museum to save a tradition

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The disastrous earthquake

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento