Church of Santa Maria dell’Arco
The former Cistercian abbey and first seat of the Bishopric of Noto.
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A place at the roots of Noto’s ecclesiastical history
The Church of Santa Maria dell’Arco adjoins the abbey of the same name, which served as the first seat of the Bishopric of Noto. Designed by Rosario Gagliardi, it was built between 1730 and 1749 and still preserves a strong connection with the city’s Cistercian memory.
History and architecture
A story of abbey life, Gagliardi’s architecture, eighteenth-century painting and the memory of Blessed Nicolò Morengia.
Rosario Gagliardi’s design
The church was built between 1730 and 1749 to a design by Rosario Gagliardi, at the height of the rebuilding of the new Noto. It forms part of the historic abbey complex of Santa Maria dell’Arco.
Twisted columns and the Cistercian coat of arms
The portal is one of the façade’s most distinctive elements: two twisted columns frame the entrance, above which are the Cistercian coat of arms and a richly decorated window.
A single nave for eighteenth-century painting
The interior consists of a single nave. The altarpieces and ceiling paintings are by Costantino Carasi and date from 1757, creating a pictorial programme closely integrated with the architecture.
Antonio Manno and Blessed Nicolò Morengia
On the apse wall is Antonio Manno’s Presentation in the Temple, dated 1797. The church also preserves relics of Blessed Nicolò Morengia, a figure deeply connected with Noto’s religious history.
A place to be told through images
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Between abbey and historic centre
Santa Maria dell’Arco belongs to the monumental fabric of Noto’s historic centre. Update this area with the current address, accessibility and visitor information.
Historic centre
Noto (SR), Sicily
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A memory older than the Baroque city
Santa Maria dell’Arco joins Rosario Gagliardi’s great architectural season with a deeper ecclesiastical history, preserving in the heart of Noto the memory of the abbey, the first bishopric and the Cistercian tradition.