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

The Infiorata, a feast of colours and flowers

The church of Carmine

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

Connections with other UNESCO sites

The character of Badia Sant’Agata

New roads for Catania

The Burgos crucifix

The Staircase of Angels

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Benedetto

A new site for a new church

A hall for the feasts

Feasting in Palazzolo

The interior and its masterpieces

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

A new site for a new city

From St. Thomas to St. Joseph

Corbels: a celebration of the Nicolaci family

The Benedictine Monastery, one of the largest in Europe

A talking palace

San Benedetto: a treasure reopened to the public

Places of knowledge: the Benedictines’ library

A half-Baroque church

Many owners, one palace

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

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

A small room with a golden entrance

St. Sebastian, so much work!

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

The senses tell about Palazzo La Rocca

Garden of Novices and the restorations by Giancarlo De Carlo

The senses tell the story of the Church of the Annunciation

Searching for colour

The internal colours

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A museum to save a tradition

The Baroque town by the sea

The cathedral of Sant’Agata: a lengthy reconstruction

A feast only for Scicli

A Nobel Prize in Modica

The Maiolica of the staircase

The chocolate of Modica

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

An eagle-shaped city

Between white and black

One city, two sites

A symbol for the town

A prominent church

Some prestigious works

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

From International Gothic to present day

A new entrance for Santa Chiara (St. Claire)

The disastrous earthquake

The senses tell the story of the church of San Giuseppe

Feast days

Fontana della Ninfa Zizza, public water in the town

St. Agatha and the giant candelabras

One city, three sites

The colours of the cathedral

The senses tell about Palazzo Napolino Tommasi Rosso

The Feast of San Giacomo (St. James)

Rosario Gagliardi, the maestro of the Val di Noto

The senses tell the story of the Church of San Sebastiano

Militello, the story of an enlightened fiefdom

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

The senses tell the Cathedral of Sant’Agata

The wall comes to life

Two illustrious patron saints

Some masterpieces

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

San Nicolò l’Arena: an unfinished church

A long reconstruction

The senses tell about Palazzo Nicolaci

The two churches

A miniature city

Discovering the mother church

A city in colour

The theatre of taste

A square as the heart of the city

Wonderful quick decorations

The kitchen, a treasure chest of colours

Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, who is the architect?

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

A majestic and luminous church

Norman apses

The senses tell the story of the Church of Santa Chiara

A design by Vincenzo Sinatra

Limestone, the colour of harmony

A new palace for the La Rocca lords

Baroque and the loss of equilibrium in the 16th century

Modica, a city with ancient origins

The city of museums

The Barresi-Branciforte lords

A triumph of colour

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

The façade used as a puppet theatre

The Supernatural dimension of the chapel of the Santissimo Sacramento

Prominent façade

A colourful floor