Noto Things to Do in Sicily's Baroque Town · Province of Syracuse

Noto is a Baroque town south of Siracusa in the Val di Noto, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002 together with the other late Baroque towns of the valley. Its main sights line Corso Vittorio Emanuele between the Porta Reale and Piazza Municipio, and half a day is enough to see them on foot.

Why Noto looks almost entirely Baroque

The earthquake of 1693 reduced the old town to rubble, and it was rebuilt at a new site on the slopes of Meti Hill. The ruins of the original town, Noto Antica, can still be visited on Monte Alveria, about 10 km away.

The new Noto went up in honey-colored sandstone. Noble palaces, churches and monasteries with concave and convex facades, rich ornament, broad staircases and curved balconies with wrought-iron railings shape nearly the whole center. Even on the approach, domes and bell towers rise above the rooftops.

Things to see in Noto, from the Porta Reale to the cathedral

The easiest way into town is from the north, through the Porta Reale. From the gate, Corso Vittorio Emanuele runs to Piazza Municipio, the center of Noto.

• Palazzo Ducezio stands on the left side of the square and houses the town hall. Its Neoclassical Hall of Mirrors is worth a visit.
• Cattedrale dei Santi Nicolò e Corrado faces the town hall at the top of a wide flight of steps.
• Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata has balconies resting on stone brackets carved with mythical creatures.
• Chiesa di Montevergini and Chiesa di San Domenico are two more Baroque churches in the center.

Several monuments are not open to the public and can only be seen from the outside, which is why a half-day visit covers the town well.

Parking in Noto

In the low season Noto is rarely crowded, and you can usually find a space on the side streets. The alternative is the Parcheggio Centrale at Via Camillo Benso di Cavour 152, a few minutes' walk from the Porta Reale, so you start the walk at the north end of the Corso.

Getting to Noto

The nearest airports are Catania and Comiso. By car, take the Messina–Catania–Siracusa–Rosolini highway and then the SP59 provincial road. From Siracusa you can also take the SS115, which continues past Noto to the Baroque towns of Modica, Ragusa, Comiso and Vittoria.

Trains run on the Catania–Siracusa line and then on the regional line Siracusa–Noto–Ragusa; Noto station is in the south of town. AST buses serve the Rosolini–Noto–Avola–Siracusa–Catania route, among others, and Interbus also runs toward the Vendicari reserve and Pachino. The bus station is on Largo Pantheon.

Pairing Noto with Vendicari or the beach

Since the town takes half a day, many visitors add a trip to the Vendicari nature reserve, a short way south along the coast, or a swim at Lido di Noto.

For a sense of the weather, long-term averages exist for the north coast near Palermo: daytime highs of about 23 °C (73 °F) in May, around 30 °C (86 °F) in July and August, and about 23 °C (73 °F) again in October. Spring and fall are more comfortable for climbing steps and crossing open squares, and parking is easier outside the main season.