Surroundings

Called the "City of bridges" due to the presence of three very picturesque structures, Ragusa boasts a beautiful historic center, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, thanks to the wealth of Baroque style buildings. Destroyed in 1693 by an earthquake, it was divided into two large districts after the reconstruction: on one side Ragusa upper, located on the plateau; on the other Ragusa Ibla, built from the ruins of the ancient city according to the ancient medieval layout. The latter contains the most significant architectural treasures, fifty churches including the Baroque masterpiece of the Cathedral of San Giorgio. Passing in front of the Conversation Circle, you then descend towards the Ibleo Garden with the two churches of S. Giacomo and the Capuchins.

Scicli is one of the main centers of the Sicilian Baroque itinerary. Before entering the city, you can enjoy a beautiful view, in particular on the church of San Bartolomeo. Above, the former convent of the Cross dominates. The heart of the city, where the “Commissario Montalbano” filmed, is via Penna with the Town Hall (the Vigata Police Station) and Palazzo Iacono (the Montelusa Police Headquarters). Many examples of buildings and churches in the Baroque style remain: Palazzo Beneventano with its characteristic façades and the churches of San Ignazio and San Bartolomeo, which preserves a Nativity scene with 65 life-size wooden statues.

Modica, the "City of a hundred churches", is a town perched on the slopes of the Iblei Mountains, famous for the production of chocolate. The first edition of the Treccani encyclopedia defines it: “the most characteristic city in Italy after Venice”. Divided into Lower and Upper Modica, it has interesting buildings such as the church of Santa Maria di Betlem, the former convent of San Domenico, seat of the municipality, of which you can admire the internal cloister, the church of the Carmine with its beautiful rose window of the century. XV, as well as the Tower of the Castello dei Conti which appears together with the spiers of San Pietro and San Giorgio. In Modica Alta you can visit the baroque church of San Giorgio, built at the top of a staircase whose facade, soaring in the central part, is very scenic. Returning to Corso Umberto you will find the Church of San Pietro, which rivals that of San Giorgio in theatricality. The birthplace of Salvatore Quasimodo, Nobel Prize for literature, is an essential destination for many.

Defined the 'Garden of Stone', Noto is recognized as the capital of Sicilian Baroque. After the terrible earthquake of 1693, the ruins of the ancient city were replaced by churches, monasteries and palaces on the sides of a long artery, the Corso, marked by three spectacular squares. The first, Piazza dell'Immacolata, is overlooked by the Church of San Francesco and the terminal part of the very long Monastery of the Most Holy Savior. Just beyond the Church of Santa Chiara, there is Piazza del Municipio, where profane buildings, Palazzo Ducezio and Palazzo Landolina alternate with sacred buildings (the Mother Church and Palazzo Vescovile). The third is Piazza XVI Maggio, with the Villetta Ercole, a small garden that takes its name from a statue of the hero, and the Church of San Domenico, with an unusual convex facade.

On the third Sunday of May, Noto is colored with a thousand shades with the famous “Infiorata”, a large themed floral arrangement that covers the whole of Via Nicolaci, in the center of the town. The gastronomic symbol of Noto is the almond; the almond cream, diluted with cold water, becomes the thirst-quenching and sought-after almond milk.