If you're planning an overnight stay then it's worth knowing that the city is quite beautiful at night with its mood-lighting, and there are also a good number of shops and other facilities available. Most of the sights are situated along the Corso and there are also plenty of places to stop for refreshment with some excellent restaurants, gelaterias and snack bars. Standing imperiously above the fountain and garden is another incredible Baroque church, the Chiesa di San Domenico. One of the prettiest squares lies just in front of the theatre where there's an attractive garden, the centrepiece of which is the Fontana d'Ercole. Aside from the dozens of churches, there are all the facilities that a modern, prosperous city of the time would need including a theatre, the Teatro Comunale, and plenty of public spaces such as little piazzas with gardens. A few minutes later you arrive at the centrepiece of the city where the grand staircase leads up to the magnificent Noto Cathedral on the right. Opposite the Cathedral, the Palazzo Ducezio is now the town hall but you can enter for a fee of €4 and enjoy, among other things, the Hall of Mirrors.Īs you continue along the main thoroughfare, it becomes apparent that Noto has very much been planned and constructed with a lot of forethought. From there, walking west along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, you can start to feel the glow of Noto's incredible buildings with the Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi one of the first that comes into view on the right hand side of the street. A good starting point for a walk around of Noto is the monumental gate at the eastern end of the town called the Porta Reale. The reconstruction of Noto using the prevailing Baroque architecture of the time is what earned the city its UNESCO listing, along with seven other Sicilian towns and cities: Catania, Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania, Ragusa, Modica, Palazzolo Acreide and Scicli. The Noto that we see today was built in the wake of the 1693 earthquake that destroyed much of the local area, including the original town, which is now called Noto Antica worth a visit in its own right and located 15 kilometres north west of the "new Noto". Just bear in mind, at that time of day you're likely to find many of the churches closed. If you arrive at lunch time (between 13:00 and 16:00) you'll find street parking available on Via Cavour which lies parallel to and above the main street: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. Arriving by car, there are a good number of parking options including a car park just at the edge of the city, a three minute walk from the centre. It's situated seven kilometres inland of the coast in the south-eastern corner of the island, a half an hour drive south of the provincial capital: Syracuse. While the Corso Vittorio Emanuele is essentially the town’s hub, it is worth strolling along the parallel elegant street of Via Cavour to see the Palazzo Trigona Cannicarao and the balustrades and balconies that adorn the Palazzo Astuto.For any serious itinerary of Sicily, a visit to Noto is an absolute must. The street also boasts one of the most famous balconies in town, at the Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, which, although still open for tours, has only maintained one room, the Salone delle Feste, in its original splendour. Just off the main Corso, the Via Nicolaci is home to the annual Spring Infiorata festival when artists set to work on the street to create pictures from petal-filled mosaics. The Duomo, the Palazzo Ducezio, the Church of San Domenico and the Chiesa di San Carlo with its bell tower are just some of the highlights. At every step of the way, honey-coloured stone buildings, elaborate facades and intricately carved balconies border the street. The heart of the architectural action is along the main Corso Vittorio Emanuele which extends from the gateway of Porta Reale across three main piazzas, each with their own church. One of the victims of the 1693 earthquake, the old town of Noto was almost completely destroyed and subsequently rebuilt, under the supervision of the Duke of Camastra, on its current site several miles away from Noto Antica, the older, ruined town. Established as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002, Noto is a small town in south east Sicily with a disproportionately large number of magnificent buildings and architectural treasures.
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