Noto's Infiorata: the May spectacle few travellers see
Every third weekend of May since 1980, the people of Noto cover Via Nicolaci and the lanes of the Baroque centre with vast carpets of flowers. Hundreds of thousands of petals arranged by hand, night after night, depicting scenes of Sicilian life, religious symbols, portraits. Noto's Infiorata is inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list. And it takes place 5 kilometres from the villa.
When exactly?
The Infiorata always falls on the third weekend of May. The infioratores (the craftspeople who lay the flowers) work through the night from Friday to Saturday, sometimes until Sunday morning. The official inauguration takes place Saturday morning. Sunday is the busiest day. If you can choose, arrive Friday evening to watch the night work being set up — it's often the most moving moment.
What you see
Via Nicolaci, Noto's most spectacular Baroque street, is covered with a continuous carpet of roughly 100 metres. But the entire historic centre is transformed: dozens of compositions, some covering a few square metres, others filling entire squares. Artists compete in technique: fresh flowers, dried petals, grains, leaves, bark, coloured powders.
Getting there from the villa
The villa is 5 kilometres from Noto. By car, the journey takes 10 minutes. During the Infiorata weekend, the centre of Noto is partly closed to traffic. We recommend parking in the peripheral car parks (Piazzale Marconi or at the bottom of Via Roma) and walking up into the historic centre. In the evening, the illuminated Via Nicolaci with the compositions is particularly beautiful.
Booking during the Infiorata
If you wish to stay at Villa Vénus during the Infiorata, book several months in advance: this is our most sought-after week of the year. The minimum 6-night stay applies. Contact us directly to check availability.