A short history of Noto

The Mount Alveria had its first settlement during the Ancient Bronze ge, or the Age of Castelluccio (XVIII - XV B. C.), as evidenced by the recovered archaeological finds. However, its importance is connected with the presence of the Siculians in the Third period (850 - 730 B. C.) and particularly between 730 - 650 B. C., as shown in the small room-shaped necropolis over the small bridge of Salitello. Soon Neas or Eten Snow, the new city, became of Greek customs and so fell into the sphere of the Syracusan competence, once more. Neaiton, was a Syracusan colony, during the kingdom of Ierone II, according to Polibio and Tito Livio. It was acknowledged, in 263 B.C., by the Romans with a Treaty of Peace. The Gymnasium, the megalithic boundaries and the Hellenistic Heroa corroborate the historians' hypotheses.

In 214 or 213 B. C., Ancient Noto opened its doors to the Roman consul Claudio Marcello and his troops, and so it was recognized an allied city of Rome, like Taormina and Messina. It suffered, like the other insular cities, according to Marco Tullio Cicerone, the oppression of Verre, by forced taxation.

During the Late Roman Age, in its area, the Roman Villa of Tellaro (IV century) was built. After the occupation of Sicily (about 535 -555) by the Byzantine legions of the emperor Giustiniano I, the territory of Noto was enriched with such monuments as the Basilica of Eloro and Trigona of the Citadel of the Maccaris, the Oratory of Falconara and the Crypt of St. Lorenzo the Elder, the Cenoby of St. Marco, the Village of the "Contrada" Arco, etc.

In 864, Noto was occupied by the Arabs of the ras Cafagh ben Sofian, who fortified it. According to the importance given by the Arabs to the city, Noto became, in 903, Head Valley and its territory experimented the rationalization of agriculture and the promotion of commerce. The industry of silk was founded, exploiting the mulberries of the territory. In 1091, Noto was occupied by Ruggero Altavilla, then Count of Sicily, and entrusted to the government of his son Duke Giordano, who began the construction of the castle and the Christian churches. During the kingdom of Federico II, in Noto, under the government of the Count Isimbaldo Morengia, the Benedictine monastery of Saint Maria of the Arc was erected. During the Angevin Age, on 2nd April 1282, Noto participated in the tumult of the Sicilian Vespers.

Under the Aragonese dominion, Noto was governed by Guglielmo Calcerando. The king Federico II, in 1335, and the king Ludovico, in 1353, visited the city, and granted it privileges. In 1351, after eight years of Hermit's life in the Valley of the Miracles, Corrado Confalonieri died, a Franciscan, of noble family.

Under the kingdom of Alfonso V, the Magnanimous, Don Nicolò Speciale, from Noto, was Viceroy of Sicily. He gave an important contribution to the development of the city, governed by the Duke Pietro of Aragona, the king's brother. In 1431, the Duke had the Main Tower of the Castle of Ancient Noto built.

In 1503, on the intervention of the bishop Rinaldo Lanolina, the king Ferdinando II the Catholic conferred the title of "Ingenious City" on Noto, for the so many personages who, in XV century, were distinguished in the field of Arts, Letters and Science, such as Giovanni Aurispa, Antonio Cassarono, Antonio Corsetto, Andrea Barbazio, Matteo Carnilivari.

In 1542, the Viceroy Ferrando Gonzaga fortified the walls of the city, so that he could confer it a strategic value for the control of the coasts from Avola to Capo Passero. In XVII century, with the legacy of the baron Carlo Giavanti, the College of the Jesuits for the education of the youth and the Shelter for the orphan and poor old maid were built. On 11th January 1693, the city, in its full splendour, was destroyed by a terrible earthquake, and thousands of people died. The citizens did not lose heart, so they started the reconstruction in the usual Baroque style on the Meti Hill, a lot lower than the original position.

Today's Noto, was planned by the engineer Formenti, with Reticulum plant with orthogonal axis, like the urbanistic fittings of the Greek cities, St. Domenico, St. Carlo, the Cathedral, the Basilica of the Saviour, the Virgin, the Crucifix, the Monasteries of St. Chiara, the Saviour, Montevergine, St. Agata, the New Abbey, the convents of St. Domenico, Carmine, St. Francesco of Assisi, St. Antonio of Padua and the palaces of the Giuratis, Nicolacis, Lanolinas, Astutos, Trigonas and Impellizzeris, which gave splendour to the city, from the urbanistic point of view, thanks to such patrons and architects as Gagliardi, Sinatra, Paolo and Bernardo Labili, Antonio Mazza. At the end of XVIII century, the baron Antonio Astuto founded a private Museum, with the numismatic, archaeological, mineralogical, librarian sections and a Gallery of paintings of the Illustrious Men of Noto, one of the so many examples of the cultural fervour of the city.

In XIX century, with the new administrative reformation, Noto was not the Head Valley any more, since its title was granted to Syracuse. In 1837, in consequence of an antiborbonic insurrection, which broke out in Syracuse, Noto became again chief town of the Province, and, in 1844, Diocesan Centre, too. The city was often visited by the royal consorts, Ferdinando II and Maria Luisa. In 1848, the antiborbonic revolution of Palermo broke out and Noto joined it too; in the following year it was repressed and Matteo Raeli, from Noto, was sent into exile in Malta, as a Minister of the revolutionary Government.

In 1860, Noto participated in the Garibaldian war against the Borbons and kept the title of chief town, given back to Syracuse, in 1865. In 1870, the Town Theatre was inaugurated, and the jurist and patriot Matteo Raeli was appointed Minister of the Creed of the new nation. In the 80's, the railway station was built in Noto. The old cultural fervour was wakened up, on impulse of the archaeologist Paolo Orsi, who explored, at the end of XIX century, Castelluccio, Finocchio, Ancient Noto, Eloro and Cittadella.

The phase of the florid revival did not last long, and so, at the beginning of XX century, Noto was a decadent city. Only with the mayor, and then "podestà", Corrado Sallicano, between the 20's and 30's, and the undersecretary, the lawyer Ruggero Romano, the city had an economic recovery. The Experimental Wine Cellar was built, and the production of wine was set out. In the same period, Noto was visited by Prince Savoia Umberto and Princess Maria Iosè. The second World War brought agriculture and commerce to their knees.

In the 50's, the migratory process to the North of Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Argentina, the USA and Canada began. Lately, an economic recovery has been recorded, as a consequence of the tourist intervention and planning, which represents the inner resource of the baroque city, together with agriculture. Noto, today, is directing its attention on tourism to revive the splendour of the past.

Noto has always been considered the most beautiful city in the world, from the artistic viewpoint.

Translated by Corrado Leanti