Noto lies in Southwest Sicily, and is one of the island’s best examples of baroque city design. This is mainly due to the fact that the whole city fell apart in the late 17th Century because of an earthquake. Other towns in the region also underwent the same process. In fact, towns such as Ragusa, Modica and Scicli all feature similar architecture. That said, Noto is perhaps the town that best-preserves this element of its architectural history. You can easily visit Noto in one day, though an overnight stay will allow you to explore some noteworthy nearby attractions, too.
This baroque ‘garden of stone’ sits on a plateau that overlooks the Asinaro Valley. This is the land of citrus, almond, and olive trees, and also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Noto welcomes its visitors with baroque churches and buildings, spread along the Via Nicolaci, Via Corso Vittorio Emanuele and its many piazzas. To name but a few, you can visit teh Piazza Immacolata, Piazza Municipio and Piazza XVI Maggio.
The beautiful Porta Reale marks the entrance to the Via Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Just to the one side of this you will moreover find some charming public gardens. In the vicinity you will also find Chiesa di San Francesco, Monastero del Santissimo Salvatore. In the Piazza Municipio you can furthermore find the city’s cathedral. These are all beautiful buildings of baroque exteriors and interiors. A particularly delightful church in Noto is the Chiesa di San Domenico on the Piazza XVI Maggio. The inside of this building is covered in stucco and marble altars, making for an incredible view.
If you happen to be in Noto on the third Sunday of May, you will become a spectator of the Inforiata di Noto. This annual flower festival sees the Via Nicolaci covered in a petal mosaic. This depicts different themes and scenes, which visitors can view from the narrow pavements on either side of the road. Along here you will also find the Palazzo Villadorata. On its exteriors you will find many interesting, protruding balconies. Inside you will moreover see some extremely well-preserved frescoes.
Noto also offers a beach, the Spiaggia Calamosche. This is just a 30 minute walk away from the town. Though it is not an equipped beach, it is very popular with the locals, who like to sunbathe and picnic on its shores.
To arrive in Noto, you can fly to Catania, from whose airport you can catch a bus, which will stop near the Porta Reale. Alternatively, from Catania itself, you can catch a train through to Noto.
Reservations are made in the interest of the property’s owner at the prices listed in the website of SopranoVillas.com.
The minimum stay is one week, preferably from Saturday to Saturday. In some properties, there is a minimum stay of 14 days, which will be stated during the booking process. Sopranovillas reserves the right to change the rates of the properties list if it is necessary due to a change of the market conditions or following special offers. The customer must not sub-let the rented property. Customers are liable for their personal belongings such as jewellery and other precious items. Customers are also liable for the rented property, taking care to lock the property at all times when vacating it. The property is equipped with an initial supply of soap and toilet paper (may vary depending on property). The customer must not practice any activity that can be of annoyance to the Owner or to the neighbours.
To secure a reservation, the Tenant is obliged to fill out the Rental Agreement that SopranoVillas.com will send via email. To validate a reservation, it is necessary to send a 50% prepayment of the total rental amount upon booking, at the latest within 3 working days after the Rental Agreement signature. These prepayments can be sent by bank wire transfer, by PayPal or paid directly by credit card (Visa/MasterCard) over the phone or on our secure online payment system. As soon as we receive the prepayment we will immediately send you the booking confirmation email. Only after this process is the reservation secured. The total remaining balance (50% of the total rental amount) is to be paid using the same method as previously stated no later than 60 days prior to your arrival date (may vary depending on property). Final payments made with delays exceeding seven days can invalidate the contract.
The security deposit is to be paid upon arrival or via bank wire transfer one week before the arrival. The method of payment is dependant on the property. In the case that the Tenant books within 60 days prior to arrival, Tenant will be required to pay the total amount of the rental at the time of booking.
Arrival: Saturday between 16.00 and 20.00 (may vary depending on property).
Departure: Saturday between 07.00 and 10.00.
Any change to the arrival time must be advised as soon as possible before the arrival. Depending on the property, late arrivals may incur a late check in fee. In the unforeseen event of a late arrival that the owner cannot accept, the customer is responsible for the extra cost of a hotel room.
Upon the arrival, you will need to bring with you a copy of the confirmation email as well as a copy of your ID or passport, from all the members of your party, in order to register yourself in accordance with the Italian laws.
Any cancellation must be notified in writing to our email address info@sopranovillas.com. The cancellation date is when we receive your email.
Cancellation sanction policy:
Within 60 days or more prior to the arrival, 20% of the 50% deposit amount is refundable.
Within 59 days prior to the arrival the entire rental fee is non-refundable.
All bookings need a security deposit for eventual damages (the amount of the deposit depends on the property rented). It is due upon arrival if paid in cash, or paid via bank wire transfer one week before arrival. The customer is responsible for any damages to the property (external and internal areas) during the rental stay. This deposit will guarantee damages that might occur to the property. The Tenant is also responsible for any further damage costs that surpasses the original security deposit amount. The deposit will be refunded up to one week after departure (unless there is any charge due to damages of the property or agreed extra services). The access to the villa will be refused in the event that the deposit is not paid upon the arrival. SopranoVillas cannot be held liable in the event of a conflict between Tenant and Owner regarding the security deposit or any damages.
SopranoVillas is not responsible for any accident, injury, or loss suffered by customers.
SopranoVillas is not responsible if your stay is compromised by a natural disaster (earthquake, hurricane) and won’t issue travel insurance coverage.
The provision of extra services is dependent on the rented property. SopranoVillas will communicate the extra services that are available as provided by the Owner. Once the booking has been confirmed, additional services can be arranged with due notice. These extra services will generally be paid upon arrival directly to the property manager.
It may be possible for SopranoVillas to arrange additional services with due notice that are not provided by the Owner at a commissionable rate. In this case, payment for these services must be paid via a bank wire transfer to SopranoVillas.
Any lock-out must be communicated to the onsite staff of the rented property. This may incur a key and lock replacement and service fee for anyone who locks themselves out of a unit. The fee (that may vary) will be deducted from the security deposit. Furthermore, anyone who loses the keys will be responsible to pay for new locks. The fee will be deducted from the security deposit as well.
The Tenant is obliged to advise SopranoVillas at the moment of booking if he/she desires to bring any pets to the property. Pets are not permitted in some of the properties listed. There may be an additional surcharge on the cleaning fee at the end of your stay.
SopranoVillas accepts no responsibility in the case that the Owner of a villa decides to remove his/her property from the website after the point of booking. SopranoVillas will do its utmost to provide the Tenant with a comparable property at the original rate. If this is not possible due to unavailability or if the proposed villa does not suit the Tenants needs, the Tenant agrees to accept a full refund of the amount that has been paid for the rental of the property.
The Owner reserves the right to evict any individual from a rented property in the case of disruptive or inappropriate behaviour.
In the case that the booked property becomes unavailable due to maintenance issues, necessary building works or other issues, SopranoVillas will do its utmost to provide the Tenant with a comparable property at the original rate. If this is not possible due to unavailability or if the proposed villa does not suit the Tenants needs, the Tenant agrees to accept a full refund of the amount that has been paid for the rental of the property.
There must be at least one individual 25 years of age or older who will occupy the property during the entire stay.
SopranoVillas acts as a selling agent for Property Owners/Managers. In the case of complaints, please notify immediately the Owner/Property Manager and SopranoVillas. SopranoVillas cannot be held responsible for issues stated to us during the Tenants stay but will do its utmost to rectify said issues by collaborating with the Owner. Complaints notified after your stay are not valid.
In case of controversies, the Italian Court can deal with the matter and Italian laws apply.
SopranoVillas Terms and Conditions listed above are intended as automatically accepted by the Tenant with the confirmation of the booking and signature of the rental agreement.