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SICILY & THE GATTOPARDO : BAROCCO, CHOCOLATE AND RELAX
This magic tour takes you to South East Sicily famous for its ancient Greek ruins, UNESCO World Heritage Baroque towns, chocolate, fine wines and delectable cuisine.
The sicilian baroque was born following a powerful earthquake which has occurred in the area in 1693, which forced to rebuild a large number of buildings. This style comprises on the one hand characteristics typically baroques, such as the profusion of curves and ornaments, but is also distinguished from the European current by the use of masks or smiling angels (putti) and more generally by a flamboyance than it is not possible to find nowhere elsewhere.
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Day 1 : Modica
Arrival in Modica, Hotel check in and visit of Modica the most prized jewel of the Sicilian Baroque. An eye-staggering tour itinerary of Western Sicily.
Modica is also famous for its chocolate. Walking along Corso Umberto I, the main street, you will come upon several chocolate shops. So you will indulge in a hot chocolate, or stop in the local shops to sample and buy the famous chocolate which comes in a variety of forms and flavors like the cookie with peperoncini, red peppers, bursting with chocolate flavor and spiciness. Dinner.
Day 2 : Caltagirone and Piazza Armerina.
After breakfast depart for Piazza Armerina almost 700 meters above sea level. Founded during the Arab era, its historical quarter has some beautiful churches, including a Baroque cathedral, as well as a well-preserved fortress (Spinelli Castle), but the major attraction is its ancient Roman villa with its magnificent mosaics. Located a few kilometers outside town, the villa is one of the largest Roman dwellings of its kind to have survived antiquity, and probably belonged to a wealthy patrician. Depicting scenes from daily life, such as hunting, the mosaics are as remarkable for their sociological value as for their artistry. One of these, showing women clad in two-piece swimsuits exercising with barbells, could well describe a scene typical of the twentieth century.
The tour will continue to Caltagirone, once the location of a Saracen fortress, this high mountain town was rebuilt following the earthquake of 1693. This means that the architecture of its churches is typically Baroque, and while that may be considered unexceptional in Sicily, many older towns here do have at least some medieval elements. Caltagirone has a certain small town Sicilian charm, but it's most famous for its ceramic art. In fact, Sicilians refer to the "Caltagirone style" in ceramic pottery, characterized by ornate traditional motifs using a limited palette. Visit of a ceramic laboratory to discover the secrets of this ancient activity from its birth to nowadays. Lunch in a typical farmhouse to taste some of Sicilian specialties. Return to the hotel and evening at leisure.
Day 3 : Syracuse and Noto
On the way to Syracuse visit of Noto which sits on a plateau dominating the valley of the Asinaro and its citrus plantations. This tiny Baroque jewel endowed with an opulent beauty is the result of a single tragic event: the earthquake of 1693, that, despite bringing death and destruction to this part of Sicily, also sparked a huge effort to rebuild. The 1693 earthquake completely destroyed the old town. A broader and less vulnerable site was chosen for the new town, one that might accommodate a straightforward, linear town plan, with intersections at right angles and wide, parallel streets in accordance with the new Baroque taste.
Syracuse (or Siracusa) was the most important city of Magna Graecia. It defeated the mighty Athens in 413 and was home to many a great Greek, including the inimitable Archimedes. At the height of its economic, political and military powers, the city had a population of 300,000 and, according to Cicero, was "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all". The archaeological site, situated in the northwest of the town, is home to a staggering number of well-preserved Greek (and Roman) remains. The main attraction is undoubtedly the Greek theatre that dates back at least until the 5th Century BC. Return the Hotel and dinner.
Day 4 : Ragusa and Scicli
After breakfast depart for Scicli, whose name probably derives from the Sicles, the most ancient Sicilian inhabitants is characterized by a typical Sicilian late-Baroque style. Visit of the Church of San Matteo, set on the homonymous hill, the Church of San Bartolomeo, the XVII century Church of Sant'Ignazio, the Church of Santa Maria La Nuova, which has a Gagini statue inside, the Palazzo Beneventano, the Palazzo Spadaro and the Palazzo Fava.
The tour continues to Ragusa, the ancient Hybla Heraea founded by the Siculians. Destroyed by the earthquakes in 1542 and 1693, it was rebuilt in typical Sicilian Baroque style. Visit of the Cathedral of San Giorgio, one of the best examples of this architectural style: characterized by an elegant façade with three tiers of columns and is flanked by a side-bay surmounted by a volute.
After lunch, visit of the Church of San Giorgio Vecchio with an amazing Gothic-Catalan portal, the church of S. Maria delle Scale, the church of Purgatory (18th century) famous for its Baroque portal, the wonderful cathedral of S. John the Baptist (18th century), the church of Santa Maria dell'Itria and Palace Donnafugata containing many paintings by Ribera (1588-1652) and Messina (18th century).
Return to Noto and dinner.
Day 5 : check-out
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