Church of Montevergine

The Church of Montevergine is a Baroque church in Noto, located in Via Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour, about 150 meters away from the Cathedral of San Nicolò.

The church is situated at the upper end of Via Corrado Nicolaci, the street which hosts every year the famous Infiorata di Noto.

SHORT HISTORY

The church was begun in 1695 on a project by the architect Vincenzo Sinatra, and was completed and opened for worship in 1762.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The church has a concave facade, without Baroque decorations, characterized by the measured geometry of its twin bell-towers and by a short staircase leading to the portal, bordered by two quadrangular columns.

Inside, the church has a single nave, surrounded by Corinthian half-columns that give the whole interior a classical style. The 18th-century majolica floor of the nave is still intact.

Of particular value is the Baroque central altar, in polychrome marble, surmounted by an artistic ciborium, rich in decorations.

The paintings in the vault and in the four side altars are attributed to Costantino Carasi. One of them, the Deposition, is dated back to 1712, and the others depict the Marriage of the Virgin, the Madonna of the Rosary with San Corrado and Santa Lucia, and the Madonna with San Bernardo and San Girolamo.

Inside the church, we can also find the permanent exhibition of the Confraternities of Noto: Spirito Santo, San Giovanni Battista, San Corrado, Cappuccinelli, San Antonio Abate, Santissimo Sacramento, and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The exhibition contains panels, rich in explanatory captions with historical information regarding the individual brotherhoods active in Noto, different uniforms, which differ substantially in color, the insignia and the banners of each confraternity, relics, historical documents, musical instruments, wooden boxex for offerings, and kneelers.

HOW TO GET THERE

The Church of Montevergine is located about 1.4 kilometers away from the Noto railway station. To find the church on foot, use the map below.