On March 13, 1996, a structural flaw in the main piers caused the central dome and vaulting of Noto Cathedral to collapse, initiating a major historical reconstruction that concluded in 2007. Dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra and serving as the seat of the Diocese of Noto, this monument stands atop a grand three-flight staircase in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Val di Noto. Construction began in 1694 and was consecrated in 1703, before being elevated to a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.
What to see
Designed by Rosario Gagliardi, the soft limestone façade is an outstanding example of late Sicilian Baroque. Twin side towers flank the central body, referencing regional Norman traditions and French engravings, while the central window draws on designs by Andrea Pozzo. The upper storey is crowned by four 1796 statues of the Evangelists by Giuseppe Orlando, and the main bronze portal by Giuseppe Pirrone (1982) features scenes from the life of Saint Corrado Confalonieri.
The Latin-cross interior consists of three naves. Its key relic is the silver urn holding the mortal remains of Saint Corrado Confalonieri, preserving items brought from the ruins of Noto Antica. The apse houses two carved and gilded wooden bishop's thrones from the 18th and 19th centuries, a wooden choir, the marble coat of arms of Bishop Angelo Calabretta, and a polychrome marble main altar backed by Nicola Arduino's triptych. Following the rebuild, new decorative works were unveiled in 2011: a dome fresco of Pentecost and four spandrel evangelists by Russian painter Oleg Supereko, drum stained-glass windows by Francesco Mori, and a silvered-bronze altar, ambo, and cross by Roman sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot.
Visiting
Visitors approach the cathedral via the monumental 18th-century staircase, restored in the early 19th century. Reconstruction work carried out between 2000 and 2007 used traditional local materials such as white limestone, sandstone, Modica stone flooring, timber roof trusses, and plaster-on-cane vaults, reinforced with modern carbon-fiber anti-seismic technology.
Our editors' tip
Take time inside to note the light filtering through Francesco Mori's drum windows and compare the clean architectural lines of the rebuilt naves with the intricate silverwork of Saint Corrado's reliquary urn and Giuseppe Ducrot's bronze liturgical elements.