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Ragusa and the Iblei region

An island within the island

The Val di Noto, one of the three territorial areas in which medieval Sicily was divided, identified the south-oriental area of the island, that corresponds today with the provinces of Syracuse, Ragusa and Catania. The predominant part is that of the plateau of the Iblei Mountains characterized by the white of the calcareous rocks used in the dry stone walls that characterize the landscape and that include the towns of Noto, Modica Palazzolo Acreide, Ragusa and Scicli and, in the west part, Caltagirone.
Following the 1693 earthquake, that almost destroyed 60 cities, the Val di Noto was object of a great phenomenon of reconstruction, unknown in other parts of the world, and became the greatest laboratory of the Baroque urbanism This is how towns such as Mòdica, Scicli, Ispica and Ibla (lower Ragusa) developed their baroque architecture now declared World Heritage by the UNESCO.

The Baroque Architecture

The Barocco della Val di Noto is considered an original baroque now declared World Heritage by the UNESCO

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Characteristic towns
Despite the mainly agricultural character, the territory of south-eastern Sicily, once the territory of the ancient province of Val di Noto, contains an exceptional homogeneity and quality of urban centres. Modica, Ragusa, Scicli and Noto, the main cities in the area, have similar urban conformations, situated in quarries and hills and sheltered by the plateau all are characterized by fascinating Baroque architecture. Narrow streets and staircases connect Upper Modica with the lower town, a fascinating system of little streets and flights of steps connect Upper Ragusa with Ibla or, finally, the extraordinary sequence of buildings and church in Scicli.
Vizzini the setting of some tales by the celebrated writer Giovanni Verga.
Grammichele rebuilt after a terrible earthquake in 1693 The city developed around an attractive hexagonal square where stand the Mother Church and the Palazzo Comunale used as Town Hall.

Ragusa Ibla

Ibla the old quarter of Ragusa

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The Baroque Architecture
The xvii century reconstruction after the catastrophic earthquake in 1693, marked the appearance of most towns in the area. Rebuilt on another site, like Noto, or split into two with additions and transformation, like Ragusa, Ispica and Scicli, all gave birth to the commonly named 'Barocco della Val di Noto' a distinctive style characterized by superb churches and bell towers, imposing on urban and rural surroundings, and by a surprisingly rich civil architecture. Iron and stonework appeared on the balconies of the aristocratic palazzi and civic buildings, typical examples are Palazzo Beneventano in Scicli and Palazzo Cosentini in Ragusa where this practice reached high level of architectural and artistic achievement. The majestic facades of the churches dedicated to San Giorgio in Ragusa Ibla and in Modica are of the highest quality construction work.
The Barocco della Val di Noto is considered an original baroque, the geographical and chronological and architectural homogeneity of eight towns in south-eastern Sicily: Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli are now declared World Heritage by the UNESCO.

The Baroque Architecture

The Barocco della Val di Noto is considered an original baroque now declared World Heritage by the UNESCO

This and more photographs can be found at:

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Noto Sicily stock photographs

Iblei Rural Landscapes
Situated between the coast and the highest ridges of the Iblei Mountains that naturally protect the area, this region has agricultural traditions that, above all, have given it its homogenous image. Green in winter and burnt yellow in the hot summer, this is the latifundium, or large estate system, typical landscape of the grain-farming-pastoral estate with its characteristic masseria rising in the middle of old fields and representing the sole form of scattered settlement. Due to the lack of springs and for safety considerations, workers and their families used to live in large villages, true "farm towns", often miles away from the workplace. Only the foreman and one or two steady farmhands lived in the masseria, the farms or noblemen's country residences hidden among ‘enclosures’ of ancient olive groves.
The web of dry stone walls, bordering and criss-crossing the fields is the particular feature of the high Iblei plateau between Ragusa, Modica and Ispica and together with the great carob trees, an evergreen often standing alone, form one of the most fascinating aspects of the landscape. Made of the typical local limestone, the dry-stone walls used to mark fields boundaries, their realisation involves a long and difficult process made only by skilled craft-workers. These fine walls, which you can only find in Apulie, first appeared in the area during are the result of the emphyteusis a lands policy used in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Rural Landscapes

typical landscape with its characteristic masseria rising in the middle of old fields

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Hiking and Walking
Valle dell’Anapo. A first walk can be made following the track that used to be the old Syracuse-Ragusa-Vizzini railway that follows all the bottom of the valley. A second walk start at the Sella di Filiporto, on the road from Ferla where a path runs along the southern edge of the upland plateau with splendid views over the Anapo gorge. With fairly gentle descent one reaches the floor of the canyon where the river Calcinara joins the Anapo. Here you can cross the Anapo by stepping-stones and after crossing the riverbed you can climb the other side (the original plan for the Ferla road was to span the gorge and continue to Sortino town).
Cava Grande is the beautiful gorge of the Cassibile river, accessible by a path leading down into the gorge. The excursion starts from the viewpoint from where there is a magnificent view over the Gorge plunging down between impressively tall and sheer limestone cliffs. The track that descent at the gorge bottom, at times difficult to follow, cuts its way along the river through luxuriant vegetation. After a few hundred metres, the bush gives way to open clearings around a series of natural rock pools created by the river.
Vendicari. From the entrance of the natural preserve at Pantano Grande you can walk along the beautiful coast up to Eloro, some km north (in fact following the route of the ancient Roman Via Elorina which linked Syracuse with its coastal colonies at Eloro and Camarina). You eventually reach a tiny hidden bay at Calamosche, and can continue all the way to Eloro if you wade across the river Tellaro.

Valle dell’Anapo

a path runs along the southern edge of the upland plateau with splendid views over the Anapo gorge

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