Val di Noto — Città Barocche della Sicilia SE
Il Val di Noto (UNESCO 2002, rif. 1024) è l’insieme più coerente di architettura tardobarocca del mondo — 8 città siciliane (Noto, Ragusa, Modica, Scicli, Caltagirone, Catania, Militello, Palazzolo Acreide) ricostruite interamente dopo il terremoto del 1693 CE che uccise 60.000 persone, con una unità di stile che non si trova in nessun altro luogo europeo.
At a glance
Val di Noto Sicilia tardobarocco (the most precisely Val di Noto zone Noto Siracusa Sicilia Italy 36.8852 N 15.0688 E UNESCO WHS 2002 reference 1024 Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily): the site (8 municipalities inscribed: Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa, Scicli; the common element: all 8 were destroyed or severely damaged by the 1693 CE earthquake and rebuilt in the “tardo-barocco siciliano” style (a specific variant of Baroque architecture characterized by the extensive use of convex-concave facades, zoomorphic balcony brackets (the “mensole zoomorfe”: carved stone corbels supporting balconies in the form of griffins, horses, lions, cherubs, human figures with elaborate headdresses), and the specific warm-yellow calcarenite of the Hyblean plateau); the earthquake (the earthquake of January 11, 1693 CE at 21:00 local time (the modern estimate: Richter magnitude 7.4; epicenter at 37.1 N 15.1 E, in the Ionian Sea 10 km off the coast of Catania; MSK intensity: XI (extreme) at Catania, IX at Noto, VII at Ragusa; the death toll: 60,000 killed (approximately 60% of the population of Val di Noto; the total population of Sicily in 1693 CE was approximately 1.3 million; the region of Val di Noto: approximately 100,000 inhabitants; 60% killed is consistent with the 1983 CE seismic hazard calculation for the specific soil type (soft tufite) and construction type (unreinforced masonry walls 1.5–2 m thick) of 17th century CE Sicilian towns on the plateau)); the rebuilding decision (the choice of location): some towns were rebuilt on their original sites (Noto Antica was abandoned: the new Noto was built 10 km SW on the valley floor; the decision was taken by the Viceroy of Sicily Duke of Uzeda in February 1693 CE); some towns were rebuilt in situ (Ragusa: rebuilt on its original hilltop; the old quarter of Ragusa (Ragusa Ibla) was rebuilt on the medieval street plan; the new quarter (Ragusa Superiore) was built on an adjacent hill)).
Key facts
- Le mensole zoomorfe (i balconi di Noto): perché ogni balcone ha un mostro diverso e chi era Rosario Gagliardi l’architetto del tardobarocco del Val di Noto: the zoomorphic balcony brackets (the “mensole zoomorfe” of Noto: the carved stone corbels (the structural brackets supporting the iron balconies of the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata (Via Corrado Nicolaci 18, Noto; GPS 36.8856 N 15.0680 E: the most spectacular example): the 8 balconies of the main facade of Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata (built 1737–1765 CE by Rosario Gagliardi): each corbel is a different zoomorphic scene (the sequence from left to right: 1. a chimera (lion + goat + serpent); 2. a horse with human face; 3. a woman wearing a headdress of fruits; 4. a griffin (eagle + lion) rearing on its hind legs; 5. a horse (pure, no hybrid) rearing; 6. a centaur drawing a bow; 7. a mermaid (siren: woman from the waist up, fish below) holding a mirror; 8. a man wearing a turban (the “moro”: the Moor of Noto: a common figure in Sicilian Baroque decoration because of the Arab-Norman heritage of Sicily; the turbanned male figure = both a reference to the Moorish history and a symbol of the exotic Eastern trade that made the Sicilian nobles rich)); Rosario Gagliardi (c.1698–1762 CE; born in Syracuse; architect of: the Cathedral of San Nicolò di Noto (the dome + the two towers + the main staircase); the Church of San Domenico (Noto; the most “pure” example of his convex-concave facade work); the Church of San Giorgio (Ragusa Ibla: the masterpiece: the three-tiered convex facade; 250 m staircase; €3; open 9:30–12:30 16:00–18:30); the building count (Gagliardi is documented as architect of 23 buildings in the Val di Noto between 1726 and 1762 CE; 9 survive in substantially original state))
- GPS (Noto, Cattedrale di San Nicolò, centro storico): 36.8852° N, 15.0688° E
History
Dal terremoto 1693 CE al UNESCO 2002 (the most precisely Val di Noto zone history: the earthquake of 1693 CE (the “earthquake of the Val di Noto”: the most destructive earthquake in Italian history until the Messina earthquake of 1908 CE (82,000 killed): January 11, 1693 CE at 21:00 local time; the sequence: a foreshock on January 9 (estimated M6.2) had already caused partial collapses in Catania and Augusta; the main shock on January 11 lasted approximately 4 minutes (the eyewitness account of G.B. Caruso, “Memorie istoriche”, 1693 CE: “alle 21 ore della sera del dì 11 Gennaro 1693 si sentì un terremoto così terribile e spaventoso che fece cadere tutte le case, conventi, chiese della città di Noto in meno di un quarto d’ora” (at 9 PM on the evening of January 11, 1693, there was felt an earthquake so terrible that it caused all the houses, convents, and churches of the city of Noto to collapse in less than a quarter of an hour)); the rebuilding (the speed of rebuilding: surprisingly fast (the first buildings in the new Noto were completed 1695–1700 CE, within 2–7 years of the earthquake): the reason (the 1693 CE rebuilding was exceptionally well-organized (by Sicilian standards) because: (1) the Viceroy of Sicily Giuseppe de Uzeda commissioned a master plan for the new Noto from a military engineer (Giuseppe Lanza, Duke of Camastra) within 6 months of the earthquake; (2) the stone was easily available (the calcarenite quarries at Monte Alveria 6 km from the new town site); (3) the Spanish colonial government guaranteed loans to rebuild 1693–1720 CE); the architects (3 key architects of the Val di Noto Baroque): (1) Rosario Gagliardi (1698–1762 CE): Noto + Ragusa; (2) Giovanni Battista Vaccarini (1702–1768 CE): Catania (the Piazza del Duomo of Catania is Vaccarini’s masterpiece); (3) Andrea Palma (1664–1730 CE): Palermo–born but active in Noto; the UNESCO inscription (2002 CE: reference 1024).
What you see
Noto, Ragusa Ibla, Modica e Scicli (the most precisely Val di Noto zone visit (3–4 days): Town 1 — Noto (the most complete single-city example of the UNESCO inscription: the entire historic center (1.5 km of Corso Vittorio Emanuele) was rebuilt on a consistent plan; the key monuments: the Duomo di San Nicolò (1703–1776 CE; the dome rebuilt 1996–2007 CE); the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata (1737–1765 CE; the zoomorphic balconies: see Key Facts above); the Palazzo Ducezio (the Town Hall: 1746 CE; the convex-concave facade of 10 columns (8 Ionic + 2 Composite) facing the cathedral across the piazza; now the Palazzo Municipale: used for civil weddings on Saturdays; the 30-minute civil wedding ceremony with the balcony view costs €150 for the town hall fee)); Town 2 — Ragusa Ibla (the old quarter: the 250-step staircase to the Church of San Giorgio (Gagliardi, 1744 CE): the most impressive Baroque facade in Sicily; the Giardino Ibleo (the public garden at the cliff edge: the view of the Irminio valley gorge: 120 m drop into the canyon); the Commissario Montalbano location (Ragusa Ibla is the primary filming location of the RAI TV series “Il Commissario Montalbano” (1999–2021 CE; 36 episodes; the specific locations: Palazzo Zacco = the office of the Commissario; the Church of San Giorgio = used in 14 episodes; the Ibleo garden = used in 8 episodes)); Town 3 — Modica (the Cioccolato di Modica IGP (the Modica chocolate: the cold-process chocolate (the technique: roasted cacao mass is kneaded with raw cane sugar at 35–40°C; no cocoa butter added; no conching; the product: a grainy, crumbly dark chocolate that melts slowly at body temperature; the production: 35 artisan producers in Modica; the oldest: Antica Dolceria Bonajuto (Corso Umberto I 159; founded 1880 CE)); Town 4 — Scicli (the least-visited of the 4 main towns: the most photographed church: Chiesa di San Matteo (on the cliff above the town; ruined but evocative; the clock tower is still standing); the best kept secret: the “balata” (the village square of Scicli paved in white limestone (balata = large flat paving stone in Sicilian dialect; the specific stone: calcarenite from the Ragusa Plateau), the best evening aperitivo piazza in the Val di Noto).
Practical information
- Come raggiungere Noto e Ragusa da Catania e Siracusa e come organizzare un giro di 3 giorni nelle 4 città principali UNESCO: il trasporto (Catania Fontanarossa → Noto: AST bus (1h30; €7.30; 4 corse/giorno); Siracusa → Noto: AST bus (45 min; €3.50; ogni 1h); Noto → Ragusa: AST bus (1h; €6.00); Ragusa → Modica: AST bus (20 min; €1.90) o taxi (€15); Modica → Scicli: AST bus (30 min; €2.50); auto: da Catania: A18 + SS194 (1h15 a Noto; 1h45 a Ragusa); GPS per parcheggio centrale di Noto: 36.8860/15.0675 (Parcheggio piazza Municipio; gratuito 8:00–20:00 il mercoledì e la domenica)); il cioccolato di Modica (Antica Dolceria Bonajuto: Corso Umberto I 159; aperta 9:00–20:00; il cioccolato alla cannella €4/tavoletta 100g; spedisce in Italia e EU))
Getting there
Bus AST da Siracusa (45 min, €3.50) o Catania (1h30, €7.30). Auto: A18 + SS194. GPS Noto Duomo: 36.8852/15.0688. Visitare 3–4 giorni per le 4 città principali.
Nearby
- Siracusa (UNESCO 2005 rif. 1200 — Isola di Ortigia + Necropoli di Pantalica) — 30 km (la piazza Archimede; il Tempio di Apollo 580 BCE; il Teatro Greco V sec BCE; il Duomo + la Colonna corinzia di Atena dentro la navata; €16 teatro; Trenitalia Noto–Siracusa 25 min €3.40)
- Caltagirone (UNESCO 2002 rif. 1024 — scala di 142 gradini in ceramica decorata) — 90 km (la Scala di Santa Maria del Monte: 142 gradini (costruiti 1606 CE; decorati in maiolica policroma nel 1953 CE); la Fontana di San Francesco di Paola + il Museo della Ceramica)
Gallery
Sources
- Wikipedia, Noto, Sicily; Ragusa, Sicily; Modica; Rosario Gagliardi, accessed June 2026
- UNESCO, Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily), WHS reference 1024, inscribed 2002
- Caruso, G.B. Memorie istoriche di quanto è accaduto in Sicilia dal 1628 al 1709. Palermo, 1709 (the primary eyewitness account of the 1693 earthquake)
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