NOTO
A baroque splendor in pictures
This magnificent town is usually included in a day tour of the eastern Sicily highlights. Thus, the tour guides dedicate less than a couple of hours for this baroque splendor.
Myself, I spend not more than an hour wandering around its streets, which left me with a feeling of incompleteness, as there is so much to see in Noto.
Τherefore, in this photographic presentation of the city, I am not trying to convey to you nothing more than the famous honey tonality, which the soft tufa stone transmits under sunlight.
Noto is located 95 km south of Catania and 32 km southwest of the city of Syracuse, at the foot of the Iblean Mountains. It lends its name to the surrounding area Val di Noto, which is known as the epicenter of the 1693 earthquake, that destroyed eastern Sicily. The extent and degree of destruction caused by this earthquake resulted in extensive rebuilding of the towns and cities of southeastern Sicily, particularly the Val di Noto, in a homogeneous late Baroque style, described as "the culmination and final flowering of Baroque art in Europe".
Noto on the map and Corso Vittorio Emanuele (highlighted in red), the main street of the old city.
Visitors, usually start their walk at Porta Reale, at the eastern entrance of the city and stroll around Corso Vittorio Emanuele, which is free of traffic. As there is no time to really absorb all the beautiful buildings you see, my advice is just to wander around and let your eyes caress the baroque fineness.
Porta Reale, the entrance to Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
Corso Vittorio Emanuele is the central street in Noto.
Noto in cinema.
One scene in Antonioni's "L' avventura" takes place on the terrace of the San Carlo's bell-tower in Noto. Gabriele Ferzetti and Monica Vitti. Noto Cathedral can be seen in the background.
Basilica Santissimo Salvatore e Torre Belvedere seen from the top of the staircase of Basilica Minore di San Nicolò (Noto Cathedral).
View from the terrace of Monastero del San Salvatore, located next to the entrance of Basilica Santissimo Salvatore e Torre Belvedere.
View of the eastern side Monastero del San Salvatore, from the staircase of Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi all'Immacolata.
View of the hills to the south of Noto.
"Monumento ai Caduti nella Grande Guerra" in front of Palazzo Landolina and Cathedral of Noto.
Absorbing the sun light at the top of Basilica Minore di San Nicolò (Noto Cathedral).
Palazzo Trigona in Via Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour.
View of the hills to the south of Noto.
Chiesa di San Carlo seen from Noto Cathedral.
Palazzo Ducezio (Municipio-Town Hall).
The main entrance of Noto Cathedral - Basilica Minore di San Nicolò (left). An alley off Via Rocco Pirri (right).
Sculptures on the top of Porta Reale.
Teste di Moro: the black man and the girl (Maiolica pottery).
Via Vincenzo Gioberti (left). The dome of Noto Cathedral (right).
Via Mariannina Coffa.
Palazzo Impellizzeri di San Giacomo on Via Simone Impellizzeri (left). An art deco building on Via Mariannina Coffa (right).
View from the Cathedral staircase towards the west. Here starts the famous Flower Festival in Noto.
Via Rinaldo Montuoro (left). The entrance to Palazzo Battaglia on Via Rocco Pirri (right).
Inside Noto Cathedral.
Maiolica pottery souvenirs.
Chiesa di San Domenico.
Teatro Comunale "Tina Di Lorenzo".
Corner of Via Rocco Piri and Largo Urbano Battazzi.
Via Corrado Nicolaci.
Chiesa di Montevergine.
The knocker on the door of the building on No53 of Via Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour.
Α succulent plant.
Noto Cathedral (Basilica Minore di San Nicolò).
