Designed by Rosario Gagliardi in the early decades of the 18th century, the Church of Santissimo Crocifisso is the largest place of worship in Noto's Piano Alto district and the second largest church in the entire city.
What to see
The unfinished façade rests above a short, linear staircase. Its rose window was recently reconstructed, replacing a mid-20th-century pediment level fitted with a small window. Roman-era lions that once stood beside the main entrance have been moved inside for preservation. The interior is divided into three naves, with the side aisles featuring marble altars beneath small domes. In the right transept stands the White Madonna, a large marble sculpture carved by Francesco Laurana and recovered from the ruins of Noto Antica. The left nave contains the Landolina Chapel, adorned with stuccos and frescoes in pink and light blue tones distinct from the rest of the building; this chapel holds a reliquary housing the Holy Thorn. In the apse hangs a gold cross created in 1746 by V. Rotondo after Gagliardi's designs. At the center of this cross, a small case encloses a wooden painting of Christ, also rescued from Noto Antica and attributed to Saint Luke. Above, the Benedictine dome was constructed around 1901 and inaugurated shortly thereafter.
Our editors' tip
Pay close attention to the artifacts rescued from Noto Antica, particularly Francesco Laurana's sculpture and the painting set inside the 1746 apse cross, which survive from the former town site.