Chiesa e Collegio dei Gesuiti (Jesuit Church and College), Noto

Directly across from Palazzo Belludia, the remnants of the church and Jesuit college can be found, strategically positioned in the heart of the city. As you stand here today, near a pathway fork marked by a small commemorative shrine, it's worth noting that in the 17th century, this square served as the city's principal square. The Jesuit complex, an architectural gem initiated in 1606 and constructed in the Baroque style, was the work of Jesuit architect Natale Masuccio da Malta.

Tragically, like the rest of Noto, the church of the Jesuit Order in the ancient city fell victim to the earthquake that ravaged the eastern part of Sicily in 1693. Recent research efforts have shed light on the complex history of this edifice, even allowing for the creation of a 3D model depicting a hypothetical reconstruction of the complete church.

Through the examination of surveys and historical records, it has been determined that the church remained unfinished at the time of the earthquake. Furthermore, the layout of the ruins does not align with the known architectural drawings from the first half of the 17th century. An analysis of the ruins indicates that the Jesuits of Noto had envisioned the construction of a monumental church, necessitating the demolition of a portion of an existing structure to make way for the new edifice.