Chiesa di Santa Chiara (Church of Santa Chiara), Noto (must see)

The Church of Santa Chiara, officially known as the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, was designed by the esteemed architect Rosario Gagliardi in the year 1730. This architectural gem was completed in 1758 and is intricately linked to the former convent of the Benedictine nuns, now transformed into the civic museum of Noto.

Originally, the façade of the Church of Santa Chiara graced Corso Vittorio Emanuele. This façade featured a striking portal embellished with a broken arch, with a central window sporting a sizable circular tympanum adorned with battlements. However, due to excavation efforts in the 19th century, this entrance was elevated above street level, rendering it impassable.

The present rectangular façade, now accessible via a small staircase on Via Capponi, showcases an entrance portal framed by two imposing Tuscan-style columns, each crowned with a distinctive Iblean stone cup. Ascending higher, you'll encounter the bell tower, accentuated by two capitals at its corners.

Upon stepping inside the church, visitors are enveloped by a profusion of decorations, cherubs, and stuccos, making it one of Sicily's most significant examples of Baroque architectural style. The interior boasts a single ovoid-shaped nave encircled by twelve sturdy stone columns. Each of these columns is graced by statues of the Apostles, masterfully created by the decorator and plasterer Basile.