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Noto In a region populated by olive and almond trees, Noto 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. Previously, the town that stood some 9-10km away (see below Noto Antica) had its origins way back in Antiquity. lt witnessed the birth of Ducetius who, in the 5C, made the Greeks quake in their shoes for having incited the Siculi against his Sicilian nationalist movement. 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. Three of the main streets run on an east to west axis, so that they might always be bathed in sunshine. Three different social categories were catered for: the highest part was reserved for the nobility, the centre for the clergy (all except the hundred-year-old Palazzo Landolina), while the ordinary people were left to fill the rest of the town... (continue)

 

Vendicari The Vendicari Nature Reserve was created in 1984, but did not become operational until 1989. It consists of a narrow strip of marshy coastline covering 574ha and provides a rare, and now completely protected habitat for migratory species and a highly peculiar kind of sand-loving Mediterranean vegetation. The large stretch of swamp, a hostile environment in many ways because of high salinity levels, has evolved a very unusual ecosystem which continues to attract vast numbers of birds passing through the area on migration... (continue)

 

Palazzolo Acreide which derives from the ancient town of Akrai (founded in 664 BC), occupies a plateau dominating the gorges of the upper valley of the River Anapo, at the heart of the Iblean mountains. At the top of the hill, where the acropolis used to lie, all that is visible of the small Greek theatre built of white stone is the floor of the orchestra and this actually dates from Roman times. To the right lay the bouleuterion, a stepped meeting-area, connected to the theatre by a narrow passage leading straight into the cavea. Near the gate that seals off the excavation area on this side, may be seen a section of the old plateia (main road running from east to west) paved with large slabs of lava stone... (continue)

 

Siracusa has forever depended upon the sea, railying herself around the island of Ortygia, overlooking a wonderful bay on the east coast; its name is synonymous with an ancient Greek past, a series of valiant tyrants, the rivalry between Athens and Carthage; a past which has left a number of vestiges for the modern day visitor to see and enjoy. Alongside this dramatic historical background, there exists another less obvious past that can be explored among the streets of the island, where time seems to stand still somewhere between the medieval and Baroque eras. Just behind Ortygia stretches a flat area called Akradina –  yet another name inherited from Antiquity... (continue)

 

Potopalo di Capo Passero is a town of about 3,200 inhabitants located in the Siracusa province. It gained administrative autonomy in 1975, up to then being a division of neighboring Pachino. The town began to develop in the early 19th century. It earned its place in history for having been the landing point for Anglo-American troops on 10 July 1943. Farming and fishing are the town’s main industries; tourism has also been growing remarkably in the last decades much relying on the cultural and naturalistic riches of the area. The 1800’s Chiesa di San Gaetano is the most attractive building. The shore is endowed with beautiful sand beaches; in the main one relics from a 3rd century BC necropolis and an ancient harbor structure were unearthed. Relics from kilns and Paleo-christian necropolises were discovered at the Manniri district... (continue)