Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

sight
A panorama over Noto

The terrace of Santa Chiara will take your breath away! Partly because of all the stairs you have to climb, but more so for the spectacular view.
The whole city of Noto is below you, where infinite shades of colours embellish the landscape.
The green of the trees and surrounding hills; the blue of the sea that shines brightly in the distance, illuminated by the sun like a carpet of diamonds; and the golden cathedral of San Nicolò whose façade and round dome can be seen. A show of lights and colours!vista dalla terrazza di Santa Chiara

touch
The warm stucco

The gilded stuccoes on the ceiling of Santa Chiara (St. Claire) shine in the sunlight.
To the touch they will always be warmer than any other cold marble statue or sculpture, which are unable to retain heat.
Like stucco, wood will also always be warmer than this precious and ice-cold stone.

hearing
A gentle song

The nuns’singing was remarkable.
During religious services the church was filled with sweet voices and gentle songs alternating with delicate prayers.
If you return to the 18th century in your mind you can still hear the engrossed nuns singing Gloria del Signore (Glory of the Lord).

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

The theatre of taste

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

A Nobel Prize in Modica

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

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The chocolate of Modica

The disastrous earthquake

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

St. Sebastian, so much work!

Some prestigious works

A new site for a new city

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Burgos crucifix

The colours of the cathedral

One city, two sites

The Maiolica of the staircase

A triumph of colour

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

The church of Carmine

Some masterpieces

A new site for a new church

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

One city, three sites

A city in colour

The Baroque town by the sea

Discovering the mother church

The city of museums

Between white and black

Wonderful quick decorations

A miniature city

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

A colourful floor

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

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

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

New roads for Catania

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

A symbol for the town

A small room with a golden entrance

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Many owners, one palace

A prominent church

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

The Staircase of Angels

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

A hall for the feasts

An eagle-shaped city

A majestic and luminous church

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A half-Baroque church

Searching for colour

A museum to save a tradition

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

Feasting in Palazzolo

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

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

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

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

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

Limestone, the colour of harmony

From International Gothic to present day

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The internal colours

A square as the heart of the city

Prominent façade

Norman apses

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

The interior and its masterpieces

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The two churches

A talking palace

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

A long reconstruction

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

Feast days

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

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

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Two illustrious patron saints