'Province of Noto')[a] is a historical and geographical area encompassing the south-eastern third of Sicily; it is dominated by the limestone Hyblaean plateau.

The oldest recorded settlement in the Val di Noto was the ancient town of Akrai, near Palazzolo Acreide, founded in 664 BC.

The newly established settlements underwent a redesign, featuring a central town square from which streets extended outwards in a radial manner.

Key structures such as churches, cloisters, and palaces were strategically erected to serve as focal points along these newly laid-out streets, which formed a grid pattern..

In June 2002, UNESCO inscribed the towns of the Val di Noto on the World Heritage List as "representing the culmination and final flowering of Baroque art in Europe".