Noto and its surroundings
Noto is one of the most beautifully-built towns in Europe and this remote little place comes out in the memory like Würzburg or Nymphenburg as one of the finest achievements of the age which produced Mozart and Tiepolo. Sacheverall Sitwell, Southern Baroque Art
The town of Noto is renowned for its exceptional Baroque heritage, that inspired the art critic Cesare Brandi to name it Garden of Stone. Noto is the hub of a wide area, which is full of important historical-archaeological, architectural and landscape data, extending from the Hyblaean plateau to the Ionian coast. After the tragic 1693 earthquake, Noto was rebuilt on Meti Hill during the 18th century. Therefore, this reconstruction represents only a phase in the long and complex history of the town, whose origins are to be found in the Early Bronze Age.
