“Ibla wears its Baroque with the discretion of a lady of ancient times.” – Gesualdo Bufalino, Sicilian novelist

Sicily – The Final

Alas, David’s two week, 70^th birthday “Sí, Sí, Sicily!” tour is coming to an end as we arrive in the trifecta of Baroque cities in the island’s southeast corner. Sicily has been like an onion, unfolding and revealing every layer as we continued along cherishing and soaking up this incredible island’s picture postcard beauty. A dramatic ending is in store for us as we explore the splendors this area possesses.

Ragusa, Modica & Noto: The Baroque Cities Reborn After Disaster

Ragusa, Modica, and Noto each has a history stretching back thousands of years. These three cities’ stories became forever entwined and connected by one catastrophic event: the devastating earthquake of 1693, which destroyed much of southeastern Sicily.

What makes visiting the three so fascinating is that each responded to the disaster differently. The rebuilding that followed created some of the finest Baroque architecture in Europe, and eventually helped earn the towns recognition as part of the UNESCO listed, “Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto.”

We saw so much Baroque in two days that we almost went broke!

Ragusa – Two Cities in One

The earthquake of 1693 virtually destroyed Ragusa, and afterwards, its residents couldn’t agree on where to rebuild. Some Ragusani wanted to remain on the original site, while others preferred the higher, flatter ground nearby.

The result was essentially two Ragusas: Ragusa Ibla was rebuilt among the winding streets of the old medieval city, while Ragusa Superiore rose on the plateau above with a more orderly street plan.

Our hotel’s location took advantage with a view of both. It was another winning, and beyond charming accommodations, the Hotel Dimora Bonafede Ibla Design Rooms (a mouthful!); that would be our base for two days in exploring the three Baroque Towns.

This small, quaint B&B is built into the remnants of an old, private chapel destroyed during the big earthquake; allowing us the chance to immerse ourselves into local life, however brief.

The property consists of just four rooms, and is chock-full of local artwork, unique décor and clever fixtures throughout. From our terrace we had a breathtaking, and to die for view of Ragusa Superiore.

Question: What’s more beautiful to behold: the panoramic view of a hilltop town, with its ever-present movement of light between the buildings, or the deep blue sea? On this trip, there was a clear favorite – the hilltop town view that can’t be beat.

Morning has broken and there’s no hurry to go anywhere, what with our excursions to Modica and Noto scheduled for later in the day, allowing us a leisurely, al fresco breakfast, devouring the view and the food with equal pleasure. Hello again, our dear, sweet friend, La Dolce Vita!

The masterpiece of Ibla is the magnificent Duomo di San Giorgio, designed by Rosario Gagliardi, and completed in 1775. With its grand staircase and soaring Baroque façade, it dominates the old city and has become one of the iconic sights of southeastern Sicily.

The cathedral is dedicated to St. George, Ragusa’s patron saint, whose legendary battle with the dragon is depicted throughout the church. Inside, an impressive statue shows St. George on horseback, spear in hand, defeating the dragon. Each year, during the Festa di San Giorgio, the statue leaves the church and is carried through the streets of Ibla in great celebration.

I’ve been to Antigua, Guatemala, during Easter, where enormous religious statues are carried in processions throughout the city. But Antigua is flat land. I don’t think we encountered a flat street anywhere as we wandered through the alleys and stairways of Ragusa Ibla.

Can you imagine the effort, and extreme devotion needed to carry the statue of St. George through these narrow, winding streets?! Uphill ~ downhill, up ‘n down and around, before somehow getting it back up that grand staircase?! As they say in Sicily, if there’s a will, there’s a way to go!

The Giardino Ibleo, at the eastern end of town, gave us something we had almost forgotten existed in Ragusa – a flat place to walk, and to get out of the blazing sun! The gardens were ablaze with well-tended white roses in full bloom all along the pathways. Its terraces offered stunning views across the surrounding valleys.

But the real pleasure of Ragusa was simply wandering its colorful streets, with a drop-dead view around every corner and curve. I don’t think we ever quite knew where we were going, nor did it really matter; wandering through narrow alleys, climbing one stone staircase only to find ourselves going down another, and every turn seemed to offer a different view across the rooftops or another wonderful Baroque balcony hanging above us.

And then there were the churches. So many churches. We walked past some, stopped at others, and occasionally just sneaked inside for a quick peek. By this point in our trip, we’d seen enough Baroque churches to last a lifetime – or at least until the next one appeared around the corner and curiosity got the better of us. A parishioner need not go far from hearth to pew in this town.

And I almost forgot about another little tourist train. By now, these trains were becoming something of a tradition for us. But after all those hills, alleys, and staircases, our tired tootsies were more than happy to surrender for a while. Let someone else do the work, and let us enjoy the scenery from a very different, and considerably less strenuous perspective. All aboard, happy feet!

David + Food = Epicurean. Unbeknownst to me, Ragusa delivered the gourmet goods. He chose a restaurant with Italian celebrity chops, A’ Rusticana, a traditional Sicilian restaurant with a bit of television history.

Fans of the popular Italian detective series, “Inspector Montalbano” (running 15 seasons, 21 years; broadcast on the BBC) may recognize it as the restaurant used for Trattoria San Calogero, where the fictional inspector regularly stopped for lunch. Apparently, even solving murders has to wait when it’s time to eat in Sicily. The restaurant’s walls were proudly plastered with photographs of Italian celebrities. We unfortunately didn’t rate a photo, but nonetheless ate extraordinarily well for common folk.

The owner, Arianna, welcomed us like old friends and quickly recommended a lovely red wine, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico, yet another local wine for us to discover, cherish and covet.

For any winos out there, the wine has a distinguished pedigree with its Italian classification level of DOCG (Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin); indicating strict quality controls and government guarantees. It is the first and only Sicilian wine to enjoy the prestigious designation.

It’s a medium-bodied, fruity and dry Sicilian red wine blending our favorite grape, Nero d’Avola and Frappato into a delicious, balanced taste; very easy to drink, and in other words, it goes down easy! We’d schlepp a bottle home as a liquid souvenir to savor.

Mamma Mia, aka Arianna, suggested a traditional Sicilian meal for us… a perfect accompaniment suitable for the wine, and to top off our Ragusa tasty adventure.

There was another daytime gem we discovered, too ~ Café THAT’S AMORO, (an Italian-American-Moor mashup), where a creamy fava bean soup transported me straight to Morocco. It had the same wonderful spices and flavors experienced in Sicily’s North African neighbor. Additionally, fresh sardines, pizza and those incredibly bright red, juicy, ripened Italian tomatoes were on our plates on our two visits to the Café.

All this uphill and downhill walking sure builds up an appetite!

Modica – A City Climbing the Hills

Modica has an equally ancient history, too, but an entirely different personality. Rather than abandoning the old city after the earthquake, much of it was rebuilt along its existing slopes, creating the extraordinary, layered cityscape we see today.

Its architectural masterpiece is also dedicated to San Giorgio. The Duomo di San Giorgio (completed in 1738) rises dramatically above the city at the top of a monumental staircase, appearing almost suspended above Modica.

But as impressive as all of that was, our focus in Modica was not churches, Baroque architecture, or climbing another monumental staircase. We had come for something much sweeter: chocolate!

It’s a short drive from Ragusa to Modica, where our main objective was a private, chocolate master class at the famous Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily, since 1880.

We arrived with some time to kill, and our driver insisted there was one more stop we simply had to make, Caffè Adamo. By now, we had learned that when a local driver in Sicily insists you have to taste something, you don’t argue.

His recommendation was their pistachio cremolata. Similar to a granita, but denser and creamier, it was intensely flavored with pistachio and, in true Sicilian fashion, arrived with a pillow-soft brioche alongside. Tear off a piece of brioche, dip it into the cold, creamy pistachio, and suddenly killing time before a chocolate class seemed like a very good idea.

Down to the last bite, and it was now time to head over to the chocolatier. Apparently, in Sicily, dessert before dessert is perfectly acceptable!

Modica’s distinctive chocolate-making tradition is associated with techniques introduced during Spanish rule and ultimately derived from methods originating in Mexico, of all places.

Unlike most modern chocolate, traditional cioccolato di Modica is made without the “conching process” that gives conventional chocolate its silky smoothness. The sugar does not completely dissolve, leaving the chocolate with its distinctive, and slightly gritty texture.

At Bonajuto, we discovered just how much flavor could come from such simple ingredients. During our class, we learned about the process, tasted different varieties and, of course, took our responsibilities as chocolate students very seriously.

… And then came the hot chocolate!

Without exaggeration, it was the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted: thick, rich, intensely chocolaty, and unlike anything I had experienced before.

Move over, Angelina in Paris. You have officially been dethroned. Fortunately for us, a smart purchase was a bag of heavenly chocolate mix; becoming another valuable souvenir.

We may have come to Sicily for its Greek temples, mosaics, churches, history and magnificent Baroque cities, but Modica reminded us that sometimes the memories you bring home have nothing to do with a manmade edifice, modern or ancient.

Sometimes, all it takes is a pillow-soft brioche dipped into pistachio cremolata, or a cup of hot chocolate, that you remember most. The importance of food memories that recall past experiences and tie-in with strong emotional links can bring back special moments in time.

Noto – A Baroque City Created from Scratch

Finally, there’s Noto, with perhaps the most remarkable rebuilding story of the three cities.

The original city, today known as Noto Antica, stood several miles away on Monte Alveria. The earthquake destroyed it so thoroughly that its inhabitants made an extraordinary decision: rather than reconstruct Noto amidst the ruins, they would build an entirely new city on a different site.

Architects and planners suddenly had the opportunity to design a Baroque city almost from scratch, with broad streets, monumental staircases, elegant palaces and magnificent churches carefully arranged to create theatrical vistas.

But as we approached Noto, I have to admit I was beginning to wonder: another Baroque town … was this going to be more of the same?

Our driver was apologizing for the unusually heavy traffic as we made our way into town. Little did we know that we had arrived on the last day of the Infiorata di Noto, one of Sicily’s most colorful annual celebrations. What luck!

Suddenly, Noto was not going to be more of the same at all.

The Infiorata di Noto – When a Street Becomes a Work of Art

Held each May, the Infiorata transforms the beautiful, sloping Via Nicolaci into an enormous outdoor work of art. Artists create elaborate pictures using thousands of flower petals and other natural materials, covering the entire street from one end to the other; from top to bottom.

The Infiorata – think of the Rose Parade, but instead of the flowers moving past you, you are the one moving past the flowers.

Each year the Infiorata has a different theme, with individual panels depicting everything from Sicilian traditions and mythology to historical figures and contemporary culture. The theme during our visit was a fun one: Pop Art, adding an explosion of color to an already colorful event.

The setting could hardly be more theatrical. Looking along the sloping Via Nicolaci, lined with magnificent Baroque buildings, the individual flower designs seemed to merge into one enormous floral carpet running through the honey-colored city.

Our driver told us that the best views were from the bell towers of two churches, Chiesa di Montevergine at the top of Via Nicolaci and Chiesa di San Carlo al Corso nearby.

That, of course, meant climbing up through a very narrow, winding staircase. David passed. I climbed.

From up above, I could really appreciate the scale of the Infiorata, with the entire street transformed into one enormous canvas of flowers framed by Noto’s Baroque architecture. It went beyond incredible, sensational and any other description. It was worth every step.

There is something wonderfully appropriate about the celebration taking place here. Noto itself was created as a work of art following the destruction of 1693, and every spring it does it all over again, but with flowers. How incredibly magnificent; as only the Italians can do.

David had already read and heard about Caffè Sicilia, Noto’s legendary pastry shop, becoming world famous as it was featured on Netflix’s “Chef’s Table: Pastry” series, with Chef Corrado Assenza (Season 4, Episode 2, 2018) presenting his mouth-watering desserts.

Our driver concurred; his reaction was immediate, a resounding, “Sì, sì!” It was easily found, just by spotting the crowds lined up.

With the Infiorata in full swing, the café was packed, but we somehow managed to squeeze ourselves into a little corner table. David knew exactly what he wanted us to try, the Cassata Siciliana, as prominently featured in the documentary.

One of Sicily’s classic desserts, cassata is certainly not shy. Sponge cake, sweetened ricotta, marzipan, candied fruit and icing … it’s colorful, rich, sweet and wonderfully over the top and Instagram ready.

After the crowds, the bell towers, walking the Infiorata in the wrong direction, and another day of Baroque sightseeing, sitting at that little corner table with our cassata felt pretty darn good.

And I couldn’t help thinking that cassata was the perfect dessert for Noto, as it’s colorful, elaborate, slightly over the top, and very Sicilian!

We had arrived in Noto wondering whether another Baroque town might be more of the same. Instead, through nothing more than fortunate timing, we found an entire street covered in flowers. It was definitely not more of the same.

Final Thoughts

What an incredible sensory adventure this has been. Sicily seemed determined to engage every one of our senses, and succeeded.

We saw glittering gold mosaics, the remains of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, medieval hilltop towns, magnificent Baroque towns, colorful markets and ancient ruins, and climbed more staircases than I care to remember.

And then there was the food. Oh, the food, glorious food! Fresh seafood, pasta, cheeses, warm bread and olive oil, Palermo street food, ricotta-filled pastries, pistachios, local wines and, of course, the chocolate of Modica. Somehow, Sicily always found a new way to feed both our bodies and our souls.

But what I will remember most is how Sicily made me feel. There was always something waiting around the next corner: another church to sneak into, another spectacular view, another ancient ruin, another little restaurant David had somehow discovered, another glass of fabulous wine, and occasionally, another little tourist train to rescue our tired feet.

Tonight, as our ferry pulls away from the Port of Pozzallo and heads across the Mediterranean toward Malta, we leave behind an island that surprised us, delighted us, exhausted our feet, certainly expanded our waistlines, and completely captured our hearts.

“Arrivederci, Sicilia. You are not just one shining diamond of the Mediterranean, but a treasure chest overflowing with jewels – each one different, each one beautiful, and each one waiting to be admired.”

Other Nibbles…..

As seen on the streets…..