Baroque drive through the Val di Noto

Towns of golden stone, rebuilt after the earthquake

The south-eastern corner of Sicily, the Val di Noto, is one of the finest baroque landscapes in Europe. After a great earthquake destroyed the region in 1693, its towns were rebuilt in a single sweep in warm, honey-coloured limestone: theatrical squares, flowing churches and staircases that seem to step onto a stage. Eight of these towns share a UNESCO World Heritage listing. This drive links the finest: from Greek Ortigia via Noto, Modica and Scicli to the jewel of Ragusa Ibla.

Unique to Touren.app: you need not start in Siracusa. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and we rotate the loop so it starts at the point nearest your hotel or apartment and brings you back.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

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The 5 baroque towns along the route

1. Siracusa / Ortigia

Start · Greek island and baroque

Siracusa was once the mightiest Greek city in the Mediterranean, and it still shows: on the island of Ortigia the cathedral stands squarely on top of a Greek temple, its Doric columns still set in the walls. Around the Piazza Duomo, one of the loveliest squares in Italy, lanes wind down to the sea and to the spring of Aretusa. A splendid start for the baroque drive.

Practical: park on the mainland or at the edge of Ortigia (the island is partly low-traffic) and explore on foot. The Greek temples and theatre lie in the Neapolis archaeological park.

2. Noto

the capital of the baroque · Noto

Noto is the showpiece of the Sicilian baroque: rebuilt entirely in warm, honey-coloured stone after the 1693 earthquake. Along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, churches, palaces and the monumental staircase of the cathedral of San Nicolò follow one another. In evening light the whole town glows gold. Be sure to pass Palazzo Nicolaci with its exuberantly carved balconies.

Practical: park outside the gates and walk up the car-free Corso. In May the Corso is covered in flower carpets during the Infiorata.

3. Modica

baroque and chocolate · Modica

Modica is draped over two hills and an old gorge, its houses climbing like a wall of steps. Its showpiece is the cathedral of San Giorgio, a baroque masterpiece by Rosario Gagliardi above a monumental staircase. Modica is also the chocolate town of Sicily: here they still make the grainy, cold-worked chocolate to an old Aztec recipe.

Practical: park in the lower town (Modica Bassa) along the main street and climb to San Giorgio. Taste the chocolate in one of the historic laboratori.

4. Scicli

Montalbano's set · Scicli

Scicli is perhaps the most unspoilt baroque town in the region, wedged between three rock gorges. Aficionados know it as a set for the Inspector Montalbano TV series: the town hall played the police station of 'Vigàta'. Walk the Via Mormino Penna past graceful churches and palazzi, and look up to the church of San Bartolomeo at the mouth of the gorge.

Practical: park in the centre and explore on foot; the Via Mormino Penna and the churches are the finest. Climb the San Matteo hill for the view over the roofs.

5. Ragusa Ibla

the jewel · Ragusa Ibla

The drive ends in Ragusa Ibla, the old lower town that spills like an amphitheatre of golden stone over a rocky hill. Through a labyrinth of stairways and lanes you reach the Piazza Duomo, where the three-tiered facade of San Giorgio (Gagliardi again) closes the view. Beyond, you can rest in the Giardino Ibleo, looking out over the valleys. The finest end to the baroque drive.

Practical: park by the Giardino Ibleo or up in Ragusa Superiore and walk down to Ibla. Take your time on the steps; you meet almost no cars in the old core.

Practical: for the rental car, convertible and motorbike

From which place: the route starts in Siracusa, but you need not start there. Tap "Drive this route from your location" and Touren.app rotates the loop to the point nearest your hotel or apartment.

For which vehicle: the route runs over well-surfaced SP and SS roads through the rolling Hyblean landscape, with dry-stone walls and carob trees. Fine for the rental car, convertible or motorbike; only the return to Siracusa uses a faster road in part.

Mind the ZTL: the old centres of Noto, Modica, Scicli and Ragusa Ibla have limited-traffic zones with cameras. Park on the edge and walk into the centre.

Best time: April to June and September to October, when the light is soft and the baroque turns gold. In high summer it is hot here; set off early.

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