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Sicilian Baroque Architecture Scicli

Sicily’s Scenic Southern Corner Revealed

March 17, 2016 By Jan Robinson 27 Comments

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Driving in Sicily can be challenging. Much to my dismay as chief navigator, I discovered how easy it was to become lost, even when using a GPS as well as a paper map. Keeping in mind that trips can take much longer than anticipated, it is a most enjoyable way to explore and reveal this scenic southern corner.

What is Sicilian Baroque Architecture?

After the destruction of the 1693 earthquake, which saw the south-eastern corner of Sicily devastated, entire towns were rebuilt in a new and distinctly Sicilian brand of (Roman) Baroque architecture called Sicilian Baroque. Some features to look for are grotesque masks, iron-worked balconies, columns and concave facades.

Visitors are drawn here to explore the Sicilian Baroque towns of Modica, Scicli, Noto, Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Palazzolo Acreide and Ragusa. We chose to visit the first three on the list.

Baroque Architecture in Modica.
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Sicily's Scenic Southern Corner Revealed

Modica

Modica makes a great home base for a driving holiday. It’s lively streets are a pleasure to return home to after a day travelling. With the car safely parked street-side we enjoyed a relaxing walk downtown each evening after an Aperitivo on our 8th floor balcony, of course.

Modica Sicily

Coltiva la bellezza dei tuoi sogni – translates to Cultivates the Beauty of your Dreams.

Festival in the Sicilian Baroque of Modica Sicily

With the main street blocked off, traffic basically ground to a halt. Imagine a stage full of young people playing music and singing, soccer balls flying through the crowd, priests in full regalia and you’re half way there. Fill the rows of chairs to capacity, double the normal Passegiata crowd, add a ton of gelato and the scene is complete. Sicily continually staged such events for us to ponder over and enjoy.

Church of San Pietro, Modica.

Church of San Pietro Modica

 

Scicli

The Sicilian Baroque town of Scicli

Scicli (pronounced sheek-ly), is one of the lesser known baroque towns and at 10km, the closest to Modica. Unlike Noto to the north, Scicli’s baroque buildings are spread around it’s Piazzas, Quarries and Hills. The three tourist information points were closed during our visits, but the friendly waiters at Cafe Plaza Busacca, supplied us with a map.

Sicilian Baroque Architecture in Scicli.

Sicilian Baroque Architecture Scicli

 

Baroque features Scicli

The climb to the hill top Church of San Matteo, should top any Sciccli itinerary, for it’s fabulous views alone. While we were in the tiny museum en-route, a recording reminiscent of a Turkish call to prayer, floated up from the streets below. After some thought the museum attendant explained it literally as “the market itinerary for the small car”. Bouncing ideas off each other we decided this translated to a mobile greengrocer. What we thought to be a Call to Prayer was in reality a Call to Buy.

San Matteo Church.

San Matteo Church Scicli in Sicily

The Church of San Matteo, named after the town’s patron saint, lies toward the top of the hilly gorge where historically locals lived in their cave homes. When the final cave residents were relocated to the lower town in the 1950’s, the fate of San Matteo was sealed. Today it is stripped bare, the entrance door replaced by a glass covered security screen. The path continues onwards and upwards behind the church, extending what is a pretty spring-time climb with opportunities to explore side paths before a gate finally bars the way.

Walking on the hill of San Matteo above Scicli

 

Noto

With it’s grand array of Baroque architecture, Noto is a top tourist destination. The facade below is one of my favourites.

Sicilian Baroque Architecture of the Old Nunnery at Noto

Noto lives in my memory as the first Sicilian town where our GPS actually directed us to our destination. When the little red arrived flag appeared on the screen I was astounded. It was in the main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, that the butcher at Tesol Salvatore Macellaria, fed us chunks of cured pork and fennel sausage while we waited to be served. We enjoyed the jovial atmosphere in the shop and later turned the sliced Porchetta into a picnic at the other end of the Corso where it terminates in a park outside the city gates.

Fountain Corso Umberto Noto

The post-earthquake Noto was built on a new site 16km from the original city. It was a town planning triumph with streets laid out in parallel and the course of the sun being taken into consideration in the design. The new build was of local honey coloured Tufa, which takes on a special glow in the afternoon sun, but was stunning even at mid-day.

A stroll along the full length of Corso Vittorio Emanuele is an easy way to absorb the Baroque atmosphere, not forgetting a detour along Via Nicolaci to Palazzo Villadorata and the buttresses of scary faces and cherubs. I always like to retrace our steps, to view things from a different angle. Unfortunately the Cathedral was closed both times we passed by, even though it was meant to be open.

While we waited and willed the doors to open, I added perspective to the massive Cathedral doors.

The Sicilian Baroque Noto Cathedral

Surrounded by Sea

What better way to break up the barrage of Baroque, than to drive 47 km west of Modica to Scoglitti.

Scoglitti

Scoglitti Harbour Sicily

In early May this is a sleepy fishing village, but come August the crowds arrive for their summer seaside break. A short walk from the quaint working harbour is Il Skalleo seafood restaurant, a top dining suggestion from Jenny at A Taste of Travel blog.

Il Sakalleo Ristorante

Il Sakalleo Ristorante Scoglitti

At 35 Euro each Il Sakalleo was a happy splurge for us. The quality of the seafood was superb and having ordered the Degustation Antipasti, the dishes just kept on arriving. This proved to be an excellent ploy to try everything without having to order individually. The meal kicked off with a platter of raw prawns, scampi, sardines and two thin fillets of fish. After a short mouth watering discussion and a sip of wine, the cooked offerings started appearing. First came the cuttlefish rissoles and calamari with orange, then tiny crispy squid, rounded off with a succession of medium-rare Tuna, Octopus and delicately flavoured Mussels. Marty’s sweet tooth was soothed by the Ricotta cannoli, Pistachio & Almond biscuits and lemon sorbet. My glass of chardonnay, a recommendation from the waiter, complimented the seafood perfectly. Both the wine and Marty’s non-alcoholic choice were gratis. What an experience!

Scoglitti Beach.

Scoglitti Beach Sicily

Sampieri

Sampieri Beach Sicily

42 km east of Scoglitti and 25km south of Modica is the small beachside town Sampieri. Looking for a place to eat our home-made rice salad, we ended up east of town at a 2 km long sandy beach where low rock ledges drop away to blue-green water.

Spring Seaside Flowers Sampieri

Immediately behind and through a broken down fence we found the partially ruined La Fornace Penna. Later research revealed that the bricks made here from local clay, were shipped all over the mediterranean from 1909 to 1924, before the factory was destroyed by arson. Penna’s bricks are credited with rebuilding Tripoli after the war of 1911. Referred to simply as the Old Factory, it has posed in the Italian Television Series Inspector Montalbano as a tuna factory. Interestingly that series is regularly filmed in Scicli.

The Old Factory Sampieri Sicily

Old Brick Factory Sampieri Sicily

 

The Marzamemi Coast

Driving in our usual haphazard way along the coast toward the seaside town of Marzamemi we found ourselves at Portopalo di Cap Passero harbour, discovering what we deduced to be an array of refugee or fishing boats from foreign shores.

Boat Graveyard Sicily

Church on the Water Marzamemi Coast

Marzamemi 

Fishing boat harbour.

The old restored tuna factory built by the Arabs who founded Marzamemi in the 10th Century.

Marzamemi Old Tuna Factory and Harbour

Although quiet in Spring, I can see Marzamemi pumping in July when International Film Festival movies are projected onto the walls of Piazza Regina Margherita. In August, thirsty beachgoers would be quenching their thirst at the sunny outdoor bars and restaurants of the re-purposed buildings.

Marzamemi Outdoor Eating

 

This southern corner of Sicily is a wonderful area to potter around in. Scenes through the car window were never predictable and swung in a wide arc from green vistas viewed from those crazy high bridges that Italians love, through many a shabby abandoned building, to grand baroque churches and swathes of plastic greenhouses growing superb tomatoes at Pachino on the way to Marzamemi. I hadn’t seen greenhouses like those since our trip through southern Turkey.

Pachino Greenhouses Sicily

We stopped the car often to stand at the bar of an out of the way service station, the best place to grab a 1 Euro cup of coffee and I always seemed to be in a little Macellaria on the way home, choosing something for that night’s dinner. You never know what is waiting to be revealed in this special corner of Sicily.

We visited Sicily as part of Ten Weeks in Europe 2015.

Budget Travel Tips.

Budget Airline Ryan Air flies into Comiso from London’s Stansted Airport. Comiso is 32 km from Modica.

We rented a car in Siracusa and drove to Modica, eventually dropping it off at Palermo airport.

For the sake of manoeuvrability rent a small vehicle in Sicily and refuse an upgrade to something larger.

Airbnb is an affordable accommodation option for the Southern corner of Sicily.

Add a link to your travel post at the link up below.  I am co-hosting Nancie’s Travel Photo Thursday with Ruth from Tanama Tales and  Rachel from Rachel’s Ruminations.

 

An InLinkz Link-up


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Filed Under: Food to Love, Italy, Road Trips, Ruins, Ten Weeks in Europe 2015

About Jan Robinson

Jan Robinson writes about travel on her Budget Travel Talk blog. A solo traveller in her teens, for the last 40 years Jan has travelled through Australia, Asia, Europe, Turkey and New Zealand with her husband. They specialise in road trips, caravanning and Independent travel without spending a fortune. Her favourite destination is Turkey and she is currently dreaming of Myanmar and Mexico.

Previous Post: «Ortigia Wasteland of Concrete Strange Sights in Siracusa
Next Post: Southern Sicily Unplugged Southern Sicily Modica Walk»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. jill

    March 17, 2016 at 11:11 pm

    I’ve never been to Sicily but it looks lovely. Your photos are beautiful!

    Reply
  2. Jackie Smith

    March 18, 2016 at 9:31 am

    Okay, with each photo, I thought, “Oh, I like this best” and then the next would come up and I’d think it over again. Loved this entire tour and I (of course!) now want to see it all in person. And buy some of those painted planters!!!

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 18, 2016 at 11:51 am

      I hate it when I think I’ve found the best photo and want to mention it in a comment and then I keep on finding more and more lol. I’m glad you like them Jackie!

      Reply
  3. Kathy Marris

    March 18, 2016 at 10:10 am

    That baroque architecture is divine and so are your photos! Magnificent!!! I hope to see for myself next year. 🙂

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 18, 2016 at 12:15 pm

      Sicily is quite intriguing Kathy. I think you will love it.

      Reply
  4. Juergen | dare2go

    March 18, 2016 at 10:08 pm

    Ah, one day I will have to get further south in Italy and visit Sicily! Your posts are certainly tempting. Until now I’ve never made it further than rural Umbria!

    Reply
  5. Tanja (the Red phone box travels)

    March 19, 2016 at 1:25 am

    so beautiful! I’ve been all over Italy but not southern than Naples:) I love that sweet pastry, what’s it called? it’s in one of your photos.:) #travel photo thursday

    Reply
  6. Krista

    March 19, 2016 at 2:01 am

    So many beautiful places, I don’t know which town I’d like to visit most. I do love the sea, though, and I think that coastline is absolutely gorgeous.

    Reply
  7. Corinne

    March 19, 2016 at 2:14 am

    Jan, Wow. I love all your photos. Sicily with flowers, fishing boats, and the antipasti…I am thinking of booking tickets right now. I’m thinking maybe it’s been too long since I was in Sicily!

    Reply
  8. Rachel Heller

    March 19, 2016 at 4:43 am

    I love the way you approach places it would never occur to me to visit, and always find something of interest. I love your photos of abandoned factories and boats!

    Reply
  9. Jenny P

    March 19, 2016 at 6:36 am

    Great post. We loved this corner of Sicily too. Very easy to spend a couple of weeks exploring all the nooks and crannies. Scili was my favourite.

    Reply
  10. Nancie

    March 19, 2016 at 9:19 am

    Wow Jan! Your photos are stunning. Of course my brain has zeroed in on the delicious sounding fennel sausage! I’m drooling over your spread at Il Sakalleo Ristorante. Perfect choice! Thanks for hosting this week. #TPThursday

    Reply
  11. Sophie

    March 20, 2016 at 1:34 am

    I’ve only been in Catania and Taormina in this part of Sicily. So much more I need to see. Lovely photos.

    Reply
  12. Pinky Poinker

    March 20, 2016 at 10:14 am

    I love, love,love that little fishing village and you had me at Degustation Antipasti. I want to go there for lunch now. The large pots with flowers are gorgeous too.

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 20, 2016 at 6:41 pm

      I love Sicily Pinky, it is so eclectic!

      Reply
  13. Lisa Wood

    March 21, 2016 at 1:14 pm

    Wow what amazing photos – and yep we would so get lost if the GPS was left in my hands!! I am so not good at directions, reading left/right is not easy!!! And I find that sometimes driving without having a clue where are going to end up means we end up seeing the most amazing places 🙂 Love your pictures of Sicily Southern Corner. The boats {the old fishing ones/refugee boats} look like they have washed up on shore!

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 21, 2016 at 2:32 pm

      Yes getting lost if good sometimes – other times not, lol. I think that Sicily gets a lot of boat refugees.

      Reply
  14. Linda Bibb

    March 22, 2016 at 8:40 am

    I had no idea that Sicily had its own architectural style. You certainly saw a lot of places. Noto does look like a nice place.

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 22, 2016 at 12:01 pm

      Sicily is definitely it’s own place!

      Reply
  15. Marcia

    March 22, 2016 at 11:09 am

    This is a wonderfully grand tour, Jan. I love how beautiful and distinctive each town is and how your post unfolds. Gorgeous photos too. Enjoyed your tour. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 22, 2016 at 12:00 pm

      Thanks Marcia, It is lovely reading your supportive words (as usual).

      Reply
  16. Hung Thai

    March 22, 2016 at 2:53 pm

    What I like about most with your story and pictures is the lack of crowds – certainly in the more popular part of town there would be a throng of people, but for the most part it looks peaceful and undisturbed by people. That’s my kind of place!

    Reply
  17. Frank

    March 23, 2016 at 6:53 am

    Sicily looks fantastic, much of what Italy is known for but a little more weathered (in a good way). It’s a place we’d love to see in late fall when the rest of Europe gets a bit cold.
    My god, that food looks good….

    Good read, I’ll be referring to your Sicily posts when we head that way.

    Frank (bbqboy)

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 23, 2016 at 12:04 pm

      Sicily would be great in Autumn, but Spring was a gorgeous time. It was 30 degreees at Modica in mid-may and the wildflowers in the countryside were appealing.

      Reply
  18. jenny@atasteoftravel

    March 25, 2016 at 5:53 pm

    Great photos Jan with lots of reminiscing on my part! I think it’s time to go back to my favourite corner of Sicily. It’s definitely time to go back to Il Sakalleo. The food was soooo good!

    Reply
    • Jan

      March 25, 2016 at 9:50 pm

      Thanks for recommending Il Sakalleo Jenny, it was a wonderful experience.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Southern Sicily Unplugged says:
    March 25, 2016 at 8:34 am

    […] from A  to B, while others are from our walks on the streets of Modica, our home base in this Baroque corner of Sicily. I hope they impart a feeling for the unpredictable and wild nature of Sicily that we loved so […]

    Reply

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