What is Noto known for?

Capital of Sicilian Baroque and the showcase of the eight Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto inscribed by UNESCO in 2002. Annual flower festival since the early 1980s, covering Via Nicolaci in petal mosaics for three days every May around the third Sunday. San Nicolò at the top of its staircase, dome collapsed in 1996 from untreated 1990 earthquake damage and rebuilt for reopening in 2007.

Noto is a comune in the province of Siracusa, Sicily region of Italy, about 44 kilometers from Siracusa.

Sicily · Siracusa

Noto

The capital of Sicilian Baroque, rebuilt in golden limestone after 1693 and the UNESCO showcase for the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto.

44 km / 27 mi

Nearest hub (Siracusa)

24,264

Population

Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Noto standson a Hyblean foothill ten kilometers inland from the Ionian, the medieval town of Netum having been abandoned after the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt eight kilometers down the slope as Noto Nuova on a single orthogonal grid. The plan is the centerpiece of the eight Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto inscribed by UNESCO in 2002. The Cathedral of San Nicolò sits at the top of a wide flight of stairs on Piazza Municipio; its dome collapsed in 1996 from earthquake damage left untreated since 1990 and was reopened in 2007 after a full rebuild. The Palazzo Nicolaci, built by the architect of the same name in 1731, defines the Via Nicolaci that runs uphill behind the cathedral. Since the early 1980s the Infiorata di Noto has covered that street in flower-petal mosaics for three days each May. The local stone is a soft tufaceous limestone that turns gold in late light.

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Gallery

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Known for

Cattedrale di San Nicolò
Eighteenth-century cathedral at the top of a wide staircase on Piazza Municipio, dome collapsed in 1996 and rebuilt for reopening in 2007.
Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata
1731 noble palace by the architect Nicolaci on Via Nicolaci, famous for the carved corbels of grotesques and animals under its balconies.
Piazza Municipio and Palazzo Ducezio
Civic square facing the cathedral, with Palazzo Ducezio, the eighteenth-century town hall designed by Vincenzo Sinatra after the rebuild.
Chiesa di San Carlo Borromeo
Mid-eighteenth century Jesuit church on Corso Vittorio Emanuele, climbable bell tower with a wide view across the limestone rooftops of Noto Nuova.
Noto Antica and Cava Carosello
Ruins of the abandoned medieval town on Monte Alveria eight kilometers north, the original Netum left in place after the 1693 earthquake.
Riserva di Vendicari
Coastal wildlife reserve fifteen kilometers south, salt marshes, tonnara ruins, flamingo migration and the Calamosche beach.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September through November are the right months for Noto. The Infiorata falls on the third weekend of May; Via Nicolaci is closed to traffic and the petal mosaics go down for three days, the largest single event in the calendar. July and August push past thirty-five degrees and the day-trippers from Catania and Siracusa fill the cathedral steps from mid-morning. The town empties between two and five each afternoon. October is harvest in the surrounding Nero d'Avola vineyards and the light on the tufaceous limestone is at its strongest. Winter is mild but quiet; the cathedral stays open and the smaller Baroque palazzi run on reduced hours.