Noto

The wall comes to life

Once inside the church, the compactness and simplicity of the exterior give way to the elegance and refinement of the interior. The space is perfectly divided between the entrance, an oval-shaped room reserved for worshippers, and the altar area. The main feature, however, is the decoration on the walls. On a white background, like a sheet of drawing paper, Rosario Gagliardi designed a surprising decoration in golden stucco created by Onofrio Russo.
stucchi doratiingresso verso l’altarestucchi dorati

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wall seems to come to life and the protruding architectural elements make it appear to be moving back and forth. Such vitality is given by the free-standing columns, the trabeation , the statues and the full and empty effect given by the tondos and large windows under the vault.
Dettaglio colonna libera più trabeazione  parte trabeazione luminosità
This is the result of a clear design where its artist, Rosario Gagliardi, pictured the church as a theatre witnessing the Assumption of the Virgin Mary .
The twelve apostles participate in this magical atmosphere, positioned high up between one window and another, ready to witness the miracle. The scene of the Assumption also features in the painting on the main altar; the Benedictine nuns dedicated the church of Santa Chiara to it.
apostoli-statue volta Opera sull’altare maggiore particicolare Opera sull’altare maggiore

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A new site for a new church

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Some masterpieces

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Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

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A hall for the feasts

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Wonderful quick decorations

The chocolate of Modica

Between white and black

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A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

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A colourful floor

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

The two churches

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A miniature city

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Norman apses

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The Staircase of Angels

A long reconstruction

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The internal colours

Searching for colour

Two illustrious patron saints

The wall comes to life

The Baroque town by the sea

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

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A museum to save a tradition

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Prominent façade

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Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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The church of Carmine

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

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Feast days

Limestone, the colour of harmony

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

Connections with other UNESCO sites

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

A square as the heart of the city

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

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The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Burgos crucifix

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

The theatre of taste

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

A city in colour

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

The Maiolica of the staircase

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

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

Modica, a city with ancient origins

A half-Baroque church

A triumph of colour

Some prestigious works

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

A prominent church

St. Sebastian, so much work!

The disastrous earthquake

Discovering the mother church

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