Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto
Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto
The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
175 within 3 miles
Attractions
96 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
107 reviews
Excellent
77
Very good
26
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Dan Maarek
Tel Aviv, Israel16,054 contributions
Sep 2019
Notto, this Southern City of Sicily has a unique look, a golden look.
Yes, It is not Venice, Rome nor Florence.
Neither is it Ortigia nor the Old City of Taormina which are more beautiful and special if you look just in Sicily.
But still Notto is very beautiful , and if you happen to visit it on a sunny day (which actually is almost always the case) its golden color gets even richer.
Best time of the day is of course...Sunset.
Try to be there then, and take many, many pictures!!
Yes, It is not Venice, Rome nor Florence.
Neither is it Ortigia nor the Old City of Taormina which are more beautiful and special if you look just in Sicily.
But still Notto is very beautiful , and if you happen to visit it on a sunny day (which actually is almost always the case) its golden color gets even richer.
Best time of the day is of course...Sunset.
Try to be there then, and take many, many pictures!!
Written April 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MsRiley
England, UK2,664 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
We visited Noto as a day trip from Siracusa. Fabulous architecture and views, perfect for strolling, taking photographs and eating ice cream... easy to understand the World Heritage Site status.
We went on a short guided tour of the Palazzo Nicolaci, and loved the decorated rooms with gorgeous floor tiles and the panoramic views from the iconic balconies - well worth the 4 euro admission fee.
The churches - and there are lots of them - are lovely; glorious external facades and relatively simple interiors.
A couple of things which might help other visitors. We travelled via Interbus from Siracusa, which took just over an hour, and caught the train back (30 minutes). The bus drops you close to the centre of the town. The train station is a 15 minute walk, downhill, from the town centre, but there is no ticket office, so buy train tickets at travel agents in the town (look for the Trenitalia sign in the window) or from the station in Siracusa. The churches were all closed from 13.00 to 15.00 hours, so bear this in mind when deciding the time of your visit. There are lots of reasonably priced trattoria and gelateria in the town, this was a pleasant surprise as we were expecting to pay inflated prices because Noto is such a magnet for tourists (understandably so!)
We visited on a hot cloudless day, and the baroque buildings positively glowed in the sunshine.
Definitely up there with Sicily's 'must sees'.
We went on a short guided tour of the Palazzo Nicolaci, and loved the decorated rooms with gorgeous floor tiles and the panoramic views from the iconic balconies - well worth the 4 euro admission fee.
The churches - and there are lots of them - are lovely; glorious external facades and relatively simple interiors.
A couple of things which might help other visitors. We travelled via Interbus from Siracusa, which took just over an hour, and caught the train back (30 minutes). The bus drops you close to the centre of the town. The train station is a 15 minute walk, downhill, from the town centre, but there is no ticket office, so buy train tickets at travel agents in the town (look for the Trenitalia sign in the window) or from the station in Siracusa. The churches were all closed from 13.00 to 15.00 hours, so bear this in mind when deciding the time of your visit. There are lots of reasonably priced trattoria and gelateria in the town, this was a pleasant surprise as we were expecting to pay inflated prices because Noto is such a magnet for tourists (understandably so!)
We visited on a hot cloudless day, and the baroque buildings positively glowed in the sunshine.
Definitely up there with Sicily's 'must sees'.
Written October 26, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Queenadelaide
Glenfield, UK72 contributions
Nov 2011 • Friends
We only visited Noto which is worth seeing. The cathedral is impressive and the ticket to see the theatre, hall of mirrors and art gallery is good value. The theatre is like a time warp. However, my main purpose in writing this review is to warn women travelling alone, or in a group, to take care on Noto station. It is a little way out of town, unmanned, not very busy and with no shops, bars etc nearby. We (three women) arrived early for our train and were standing down one end of the platform. A (young) man came walking towards us and started exposing himself. He looked very menacing. There was no way out other than the only entrance/exit which meant going past him. As I tried to run past him he tried to grab me. My very loud scream seemed to scare him off but there was no-one else around to hear it. So, take the bus from the town or, if you must wait on the platform, stay near the entrance.
Written November 13, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
geojak0
Houston, TX235 contributions
Noto is stunning, worth visiting on the 3rd Sunday in May when the INFIORATA festival is in full swing. Wonderful artwork is recreated by the city's students, each picture is made of flower petals (hence Infiorata) adorning the whole of Via Nicolaci, the road under the magnificent Villa Dorata Palace. The city is built on a grid system, so it's easy to get around. Built of pinkish yellow sandstone it lights up in the evening and glows in the light of the diminishing sunset. Noto is beautiful, especially since it has been totally restored in recent years. There are many other towns in the vicinity which are all worth a visit & also in Baroque. Don't forget to visit the Villa del Tellaro (about 3km out of Noto on the old road to Pachino) which has the most extraordinary Roman mosaics, so exquisite they rival the famous mosaics of the larger Villa Romana at Piazza Armerina (province of Catania & about 2 1/2 hours away by car).
Noto is a good place to stay because it's full of guest houses & agritourism. The beach at Marina di Noto is a long expanse of golden sand, only 3 km from the Baroque center. Noto Antica is all that's left of the original town which was raised to the ground by the earthquake in 1693, most of the rubble was used to build the Noto of today. However, you can still visit the church of Eramo di Santa Maria della Provvidenza, which was reconstructed after the 1693 earthquake.
On the road to Noto Antica from Noto is San Corrado Fuori le Mura. The Eramo of San Corrado (the patron saint of Noto) is an interesting little church. It's build into a cave, the church front is the facade. Upstairs are the gifts donated left after a miracle occurred, old wedding dresses, prosthetic limbs & even a model boat amongst other items are to be seen. Down in the basement is a great Crib scene (which if you ask the curator) you might be able to see despite it not being Xmas. Above the church, a short walk from the main entrance is the small chapel & cave where the hermit Saint Conrad (San Corrado) lived in the1300's. Another good time to visit Noto is during the festival of San Corrado (officially 1st Sunday of Feb but when I lived there, they had a retake in August for the Netini {the name given to Noto's population} visiting during the summer holidays).
Noto is a good place to stay because it's full of guest houses & agritourism. The beach at Marina di Noto is a long expanse of golden sand, only 3 km from the Baroque center. Noto Antica is all that's left of the original town which was raised to the ground by the earthquake in 1693, most of the rubble was used to build the Noto of today. However, you can still visit the church of Eramo di Santa Maria della Provvidenza, which was reconstructed after the 1693 earthquake.
On the road to Noto Antica from Noto is San Corrado Fuori le Mura. The Eramo of San Corrado (the patron saint of Noto) is an interesting little church. It's build into a cave, the church front is the facade. Upstairs are the gifts donated left after a miracle occurred, old wedding dresses, prosthetic limbs & even a model boat amongst other items are to be seen. Down in the basement is a great Crib scene (which if you ask the curator) you might be able to see despite it not being Xmas. Above the church, a short walk from the main entrance is the small chapel & cave where the hermit Saint Conrad (San Corrado) lived in the1300's. Another good time to visit Noto is during the festival of San Corrado (officially 1st Sunday of Feb but when I lived there, they had a retake in August for the Netini {the name given to Noto's population} visiting during the summer holidays).
Written January 19, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Svetla H
Sofia, Bulgaria35 contributions
Jun 2014 • Solo
If you have been to Lecce and like Baroque style it's a good idea to visit Noto. It is not far from Syracuse and it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage sites. The old town of Noto existed for centuries. What you see now is the new town, entirely rebuild in a new location after
the earthquake in 1693. So the fine buildings are of the early 18th century. Noto was once a bishobic seat and there are a lot of churches in the town(a guide said 100, another - 50 churches) .
Advice: I It is better to visit the town either early in the morning or late afternoon/early evening. I visited it in the early afternoon and it was very hot.
The fine palaces and churches in the unique Sicilian baroque are built of a tufa stone that gives them a specific honey-golden color.
Pay special attention to the Church of San Domenico, it is impressing.
the earthquake in 1693. So the fine buildings are of the early 18th century. Noto was once a bishobic seat and there are a lot of churches in the town(a guide said 100, another - 50 churches) .
Advice: I It is better to visit the town either early in the morning or late afternoon/early evening. I visited it in the early afternoon and it was very hot.
The fine palaces and churches in the unique Sicilian baroque are built of a tufa stone that gives them a specific honey-golden color.
Pay special attention to the Church of San Domenico, it is impressing.
Written August 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Welcomebackagain
Ile-de-France, France12 contributions
May 2014 • Friends
I was looking for a real sicilian trendy product to offer and bring back home. I 've finally found it in Noto, vicino Siracusa. The shop - pop up store- is called Costanza ipirato alla Sicilia. In a narrow street of the old city of Noto, centro storico. Great ideas, beautiful items, a large scale of prices.
La boutique de souvenirs de SIcile à Noto. Un travail avec des artistes et artisans siciliens brillants.super initiative. Une vrai source d'inspirations, de sens et d'histoires siciliennes. Via Arnaldo da Brescia, dans la rue du café Sicilia. loin des clichés....
La boutique de souvenirs de SIcile à Noto. Un travail avec des artistes et artisans siciliens brillants.super initiative. Une vrai source d'inspirations, de sens et d'histoires siciliennes. Via Arnaldo da Brescia, dans la rue du café Sicilia. loin des clichés....
Written June 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liz M
Henley in Arden, UK21 contributions
May 2015 • Couples
Noto is a very beautiful place to visit and the bonus is that the places of interest are all within a relatively small area. There is no uphill walking but lots of towers to climb if you want fantastic views! Definitely my favourite town in the area.
Written June 2, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kalina I
New York City, NY41 contributions
Dec 2013 • Family
The baroque style of Noto is very different from Catania or Palermo with tis limestone uniformity. The city is beautifully restored since it's a UNESCO Heritage site. The buildings gleam like little jewels in the sun with theatrical staircases leading up and down. The main corso is wide as if waiting for a parade to start. You feel like royals walking between the three piazzas. In February there is a flower festival and one of its streets is covered in designs made from flowers; the theme varies every year. If you can go in the afternoon - you'll be rewarded with seeing the buildings turn to gold colors. We visited Noto with a tour from Etna Tribe (8 people in a van), combined with seeing Siracusa. Highly recommended.
Written January 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pavel S
Praha82 contributions
Jun 2013 • Friends
Noto is a amazing small town up in the hills over the Mediteranian sea. Re-built "in the right time" after the earthquake it could be constructed in the highest peak of baroque.
And in the late afternoon sun the facades show their golden colour ... there is a lot more to adore in Noto!
And in the late afternoon sun the facades show their golden colour ... there is a lot more to adore in Noto!
Written September 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luminita
Bucharest, Romania54 contributions
Mar 2012 • Couples
I really loved all the region (Ragusa, Modica, etc) with its luscious baroque. Every adornment, every single detail didn't seem... too much, but great and romantic! Besides, the buildings at dusk had a great, almost mystical colour...
I think I didn't like "baroque" until I saw this region...
I think I didn't like "baroque" until I saw this region...
Written April 27, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing