Largo Landolina - Noto, Sicily - War Memorial Framed by Trees

The First World War memorial in tree-lined Largo Landolina, with historic Palazzo Landolina di Sant'Alfano forming an elegant backdrop in Noto, Sicily.

This photograph shows the tree-lined Largo Landolina in the historic centre of Noto, Sicily, with the Monument to the Fallen of the First World War standing prominently in the centre of the square. Carefully shaped trees frame the open paved space, while the elegant pale-stone façade of Palazzo Landolina di Sant'Alfano rises behind the memorial beneath a partly cloudy Mediterranean sky. The war memorial was created by Noto-born sculptor Saverio Sortino and inaugurated in 1922 to commemorate local soldiers who died during the First World War. The monument incorporates marble and bronze elements, including allegorical figures of Victory and a soldier. Palazzo Landolina, built in the 18th century for the influential Landolina family, presents a comparatively restrained architectural character that anticipates Neoclassicism while remaining part of Noto's remarkable historic townscape. The palace also has royal associations: Ferdinand II of Bourbon and Maria Theresa of Austria stayed there on several occasions between 1838 and 1844.