The Val di Noto

In January 1693 an earthquake destroyed much of southeastern Sicily, and the towns that were rebuilt in the decades after went up in one architectural idiom at one moment: a late baroque worked in the local honey-coloured limestone, with churches on stepped platforms designed to be seen from below, curved facades, and balconies carried on brackets carved into faces and monsters. Eight towns carry a joint World Heritage listing: Noto, Modica, Ragusa, Scicli, Catania, Caltagirone, Militello and Palazzolo. Noto is the showpiece, rebuilt on a new site to a grid; Ragusa Ibla is the most atmospheric, climbing a ridge above a gorge.

History

The oldest recorded settlement in the Val di Noto was Akrai, near Palazzolo Acreide, founded in 664 BC as the first colony of Corinthian Syracuse. The great Sicily earthquake of 1693 wrecked the towns of the area, and many were rebuilt on new sites, such as Noto and Grammichele; the Spanish kings gave the nobleman Giuseppe Lanza special authority to redesign them, with a central square, streets radiating from it or set on a grid, and churches, cloisters and palaces placed as focal points along them. Grammichele was laid out as a hexagon around its square, and the towns were rebuilt in what came to be called the Sicilian Baroque, seen above all in Noto (Wikipedia, Val di Noto).

What to look for

• Noto - rebuilt on a grid, the most complete baroque town plan in Sicily.
• Ragusa Ibla - the old town on a ridge, reached down a long stair.
• Modica - stacked up two sides of a ravine, with its chocolate tradition.
• The carved balconies - brackets cut into faces and grotesques.

When to go

April to June and September to October are the best months; July and August in this part of Sicily are punishing. The Infiorata flower festival at Noto is in May. A car is effectively essential to move between the towns.

Before you go

The towns are spread over a wide area and public transport between them is poor; a car is needed. Noto's main street is heavily touristed and the rest of the town less maintained. Many churches keep short and unpredictable hours, closing over the middle of the day. Summer heat here is severe.

Nearby

Syracuse is an hour north; the southeastern coast is nearby.

Key facts