Noto

Noto (Zip Code 96017) is 182 Km. distant from Agrigento, 174 Km. from Caltanissetta, 90 Km. from Catania, 167 Km. from Enna, 176 Km. from Messina, 318 Km. from Palermo, 54 Km. from Ragusa, 32 Km. from Siracusa, that is the province it belongs to, 357 Km. from Trapani.

The municipality has 21.818 inhabitants, its surface measures 55.112 hectares and its population density counts 40 inhabitants for square kilometre. It rises inland, over a hilly area, 165 metres above the sea-level.

The Town Hall is located in via Ruggero Settimo n. 8, tel. ++39 0931-896111 fax. ++39 0931-835281. E-mail address is: info.comune@comune.noto.sr.it.

It is mainly an agriculture centre and it produces grapes, citrus fruits, vegetables, almonds and carobs. There are also cow, pork and sheep farms.

According to philological studies, its name comes from the Latin word Netum, changed by the Arabs (9th century) in Val di Noto. The old Noto, situated North from the present day town, was inhabited since the Prehistory, as shown by the necropoli of the 17th-15th century BC and 8th-7th century BC, found nearby. In the 5th century BC it was influenced by Siracusa; later it was conquered by the Romans, Barbarians, Byzantines and Arabs. The latter entitled it capital of one of the three areas which they divided Sicily in.

In the 12th century it was a territory property and in the 15th and 16th century it recorded a notable cultural and economical development. After the earthquake in 1693, the town was rebuilt down below. The economy, damaged by the earthquake, picked up again in the second half of the 18th century, but receded again after 1817, when it lost its tile of capital in favour of Siracusa. It was diocese in 1844, but in 1866 when all religious corporations - strictly connected to the economical and social structures - were suppressed, the situation got worse again.

The most important monuments are the site of Noto Antica with the ruins of the 13th century castle, the church of St. Dominic with its 18th century convent, the 19th century Bishop's Palace and the 18th century Town Hall.

Amongst its most famous citizens we mention the humanist Giovanni Aurispa, the historian Rocco Pirri (16th-17th century), the romantic poetess Marianna Coffa Caruso and the actress Tina Di Lorenzo (last century).