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).

A feast only for Scicli

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

An eagle-shaped city

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The chocolate of Modica

Norman apses

A triumph of colour

A hall for the feasts

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A prominent church

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

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A museum to save a tradition

A small room with a golden entrance

The church of Carmine

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

Limestone, the colour of harmony

The disastrous earthquake

The façade used as a puppet theatre

Discovering the mother church

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

A talking palace

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

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

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

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

One city, three sites

The theatre of taste

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

The two churches

A miniature city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

A colourful floor

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

Two illustrious patron saints

A new site for a new church

A Nobel Prize in Modica

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

A square as the heart of the city

A symbol for the town

Wonderful quick decorations

A city in colour

A new site for a new city

Prominent façade

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

Between white and black

Connections with other UNESCO sites

Feasting in Palazzolo

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

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

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

Searching for colour

The interior and its masterpieces

One city, two sites

Modica, a city with ancient origins

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

The Maiolica of the staircase

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

A long reconstruction

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

The Burgos crucifix

A half-Baroque church

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

The internal colours

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

A majestic and luminous church

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

Some masterpieces

From International Gothic to present day

The city of museums

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The Staircase of Angels

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

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

The wall comes to life

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

Many owners, one palace

New roads for Catania

Feast days

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

Some prestigious works

The Baroque town by the sea

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

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe