Noto, Sicily : A Baroque Pearl Full of Treasures
Noto, located in the southeast of Sicily, dazzled me with its atmosphere and architecture. Contemporary cathedral, churches and palaces, all in almost identical shade of golden honey, truly represent the Sicilian Baroque. This clean and tidy town, with an attractive center with over 30 churches and 40 palaces, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002.
About Noto
This charming town has a unique history. You will be surprised to know that, it was completely destroyed by the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt from scratch on a new site, about 10km from the ancient Noto. The current location was chosen because the terrain is flatter than the previous one. The slope of the land was used by architects to divide the town into living quarters. The higher areas with the most attractive views were occupied by the aristocracy, merchants lived in the center, and a church was built in the lowest parts and outskirts, occupied mainly by the poor.
Noto was built practically throughout the eighteenth century and many outstanding architects contributed to its construction, including Giuseppe Lanza, Dutch engineer and military architect Karol Grunenberg, and many others. The legend has it that the mythical Daedalus and Hercules, son of Zeus and a human woman, visited ancient Noto, called Notum.
Things To See In Noto
Due to the unfortunate circumstances with our car, what was supposed to be a quick stop turned into a 3-day adventure. Thanks to this, we were able to see it during the daytime and evening, when everything was wonderfully lit.
We started our tour at the magnificent Porta Reale, imitating the triumphal arch city gate. Right in front of the gate is the Giardino Pubblico city park, a farmers market and a popular meeting place for locals.
From the gate, we head along the main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which is about 1km long and where most of the city’s most important monuments are located. There are not too many tourists in the morning yet and restaurants are slowly setting up tables and chairs. Soon the cafes and taverns will be filled to the brim, but now we can still enjoy the cool morning breeze from the sea, architecture, and sleepy atmosphere of waking Noto.
The main street of the city crosses three squares, each of them has a baroque church with richly caved facades.
San Francesco Church
The first one is Piazza Immacolata, where the Church of San Francesco, to which an impressive staircase leads, was built in 1704 – 1748. The church with the adjoining building used to be a natural connection between the church and the monastery.
Currently, the building belongs to the University. We were immediately impressed by its great wooden doors decorated with beautiful carvings. Inside, you will find the interior with a single nave with the white walls decorated with Rococo-style stuccoes.
Palazzo Ducezio
The second square is called Piazza Municipio, where an impressive building characterized by twenty arches on the facade supported by columns sits. Currently the building houses the Municipal Hall where the city government holds the most important meetings and events. Its name comes from the city’s founder, Ducezio, born in 488 BC.
Cathedral of Noto
The Cathedral of Noto, completed in 1776, is located on a dais and in front of the Palazzo Ducezio. This unusually large building designed by the Italian architect Gagliardi, is the focal point of the city. In 1996, the dome collapsed and its renovation took over 10 years, but let me tell you, it looks beautiful. The dome looks different at any time of the day. In the evenings, the colors are more intense due to the setting sun, while during the day it looks much lighter. The cathedral is open and free to visitors, so make sure you look inside. Its interior is quite minimalist. The walls are painted white, and only the ceiling and the main nave are decorated with paintings.
Together, the Cathedral and Palazzo Ducezio, form the symbol of Noto.
Church of San Domenico
The last square is called Piazza XVI Maggio, with the San Domenico church and the municipal theater simply called Teatro Comunale. The church is preceded by a small courtyard with the Hercules fountain. The facade has two stories, the first Doric, the second Ionic. The central part of the facade is convex and the church is beautifully lit at night. The former monastery buildings have been largely rebuilt and now houses a school.
The other districts of the city are not as sumptuous as the center, but also there you can find few baroque architectural gems, including few more churches and a street with painted stairs.
Despite that, we deviated from the main street to get lost in the tangle of narrow, steep streets. It was quiet and peaceful. The laundry was drying between the buildings, and here and there the cats bask in the stone floors. Many apartments were wide open and the residents smiled to greet us. We love the atmosphere of small towns and we could walk around these cobbled streets for hours.
Infiorata Flowers Festival
Every year, on the third Sunday of May, Noto holds the Infiorata flower festival where the entire Via Corrado Nicolaci is covered with flowers arranged in various mosaics. We have heard that it is the most interesting and appealing event in the south of Sicily that cannot be missed.
Final Thoughts
We highly recommend to walk the streets and admire the unique buildings of Noto. Eat and drink at tables set in the middle of cobbled streets with views of the most beautiful monuments. It is worth spending more than one day to fully experience the atmosphere of this wonderful town, its cozy streets, baroque architecture, and charming restaurants and taverns.
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