Noto - the heart of Sicilian Baroque
Description:
Some cities are destined to become bustling megacities, some are small masterpieces. Noto is one of them.
Seeing travelers from the height of the hill, the golden city attracts the warm color of the stone, the domes and bell towers of its many churches. The city is a mystery, the city is a miracle!
Walking along the shady alley leading to the Royal Gate, listening to the chirping of restless cicadas, we prepare to meet the baroque splendor of the “stone garden”.
A city called Noto has existed since ancient times. The earthquake of 1693 made its own adjustments to his life: the elite decided not to restore the city on the hill of Alveria, but to build it at a distance of about five kilometers from the destroyed. Huge financial efforts, ambitions of the clerk and nobility create a new Baroque masterpiece. Thanks to the genius of Rosario Gallardi, bold ideas take concrete forms. It seems that nature itself helps Gallardi and his students to realize the most vivid fantasies: masquerons, shells, sirens, lions, paradise flowers - all this not only amazed the imagination of customers and travelers, but also forced to reflect and interpret the intellectual whims of the Baroque, captured in soft golden stone.
Modern Noto is a unique place for walking and exploring the Sicilian Baroque, with culinary delicacies of the southeast of the island, works of artisans and the lifestyle of a proud provincial town.
In the warm and sunny season, the city becomes the scene of cultural events: in May, the annual Infjorat festival takes place, turning Nikolachi Street into a bright river of flower petals, along the banks of which admired spectators from around the world walk. Next is a series of exhibitions, open-air concerts and a theater festival.
Immerse yourself in the magical atmosphere of Noto! This city will conquer you forever!
Tour program. The program of 2-hour city tour includes:
- Walk along the central avenue of the city, the Royal Gate, churches and palaces located along it.
- We will stop on the picturesque staircase of the Church of St. Francis – the most beloved saint of Italy, go to the temple (during the opening hours), talk about the architectural ensemble of this corner of the city.
- Church of St. Chiara, Dome Cathedral, Church of San Carlo Borromeo, San Domenico: Baroque Rosario Gallardi. Optional opportunity to climb the terraces and bell towers of churches (2 euros / free fee).
Street and palaces of the Nikolachi family: luxury, intrigue, patronage. Optional visit to the Nikolachi Palace.
Culinary delights of the territory: pate from tomatoes, capers, wild fennel, tuna, grouper, botargus, famous almond sweets, ice cream, granites.
We will talk about the past and present of the city, try to be not just visiting tourists, but attentive researchers.