Syracuse & the Southeast - Sicily - page 413

Baroque Towns
STARTNOTO
ENDCHIARAMONTE GULFI
LENGTH71KM/TWO DAYS
A land of remote rocky gorges, sweeping views and silent valleys, Sicily's southeastern corner is home to the
'baroque triangle', an area of Unesco-listed hilltop towns famous for their lavish baroque architecture. This tour
takes in some of the finest, all within easy driving distance of each other.
Just over 35km south of Syracuse, Noto is home to what is arguably Sicily's most beautiful street - Corso
Vittorio Emanuele, a pedestrianised boulevard lined with golden baroque palazzi . From Noto, pop into the
Riserva Naturale Oasi Faunistica di Vendicari ( Click here ), ideal for walking around and swimming off its
beaches. Continue on to Ispica, a hilltop town overlooking a huge canyon, the Cava d'Ispica ( Click here ),
riddled with prehistoric tombs. Follow the SS115 for a further 18km brings you to Modica , a bustling town
set in a deep rocky gorge. There's excellent accommodation and a wealth of great restaurants, so this makes a
good place to stay overnight. The best of the baroque sights are up in Modica Alta, the high part of town, but
make sure you have energy left for the passeggiata (evening stroll) on Corso Umberto I and dinner at Osteria dei
Sapori Perduti.
Next morning, a short, winding, up-and-down drive through rock-littered hilltops leads to Ragusa , one of
Sicily's nine provincial capitals. The town is divided in two − it's Ragusa Ibla that you want, a claustrophobic
warren of grey stone houses and elegant palazzi that opens up onto Piazza Duomo, a superb example of 18th-cen-
tury town planning. Although you can eat well in Ragusa, consider lunching in Chiaramonte Gulfi , a tran-
quil hilltop town some 20km to the north along the SP10, famous for its olive oil and delicious pork.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Valle Dell'Anapo & Around
For some beautifully wild and unspoilt countryside, take the SS124 northwest from Syra-
cuse towards Palazzolo Acreide. After about 36km, turn off right towards Ferla. The sign-
posted road plunges steeply to the floor of the Valle dell'Anapo (Anapo Valley), a deep
limestone gorge. Once at the bottom you can leave your car by the Forestry Commission
hut and walk through the woodlands on foot. It's pretty gentle walking, although paths
marked 'B' are slightly more challenging.
Continuing about 5km up from the valley floor you come to Ferla , a small town with an
attractive baroque centre, and another 11km beyond that the Necropoli di Pantalica
, an important Iron Age and Bronze Age necropolis. Situated on a huge plateau, it's
an extensive, isolated area of limestone rocks honeycombed by more than 5000 tombs.
The site's origins date to between the 13th and 8th centuries BC, and although no one is