The church of San Carlo al Corso, dedicated to San Carlo Borromeo, is the church of the ancient residence of the Jesuits of Noto. Built in 1730, probably based on a design by Rosario Gagliardi, the church has a longitudinal plan, with three naves covered by a barrel vault and punctuated by semi-columns... #UNESCO #tuttitaly
The majestic Church of San Carlo Borromeo in Noto, an ancient residence of the Jesuits, is one of the architectural masterpieces of the Sicilian city. Built in 1730 based on the design by Rosario Gagliardi, the church played a vicarious role during the reconstruction phase of the Cathedral of San Nicolò, housing the silver Ark containing the remains of San Corrado Confalonieri, the patron saint of Noto.
Known for its extraordinary beauty, the Church of San Carlo Borromeo presents similarities with Gagliardi's work, the Church of San Domenico, through free-standing columns and concave and convex forms that give dynamism and plasticity to the building. The vertical facade is divided into three orders of columns with Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian capitals, enriched by elaborate decorations that create a powerful visual impact.
The church features three naves in Latin cross covered by barrel vaults decorated with polychrome stuccoes and frescoes attributed to Costantino Cerasi, including biblical scenes and sacred iconographies. A wooden pulpit in the shape of a canopy, supported by a griffin, dominates the right side of the central nave, while the Evangelists are depicted in the dome's pendentives.
The apse contains a high altar with a sumptuous sculptural apparatus depicting The Light of Christ, flanked by statues representing The Faith and The Hope by the sculptor Giuseppe Giuliano. The Baroque altars in the side aisles, the fresco decorations, and the eighteenth-century paintings enrich the Baroque atmosphere of the environment.
Fun fact: The terrace of the bell tower of the Church of San Carlo Borromeo was chosen by the director Michelangelo Antonioni as a setting to film some scenes of the movie L'Avventura (1960), which included spectacular shots of the charming Piazza del Duomo in Noto.
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