9/28/24: Noto & Modica: Baroque Marvels

Steven and I'd read that if Siracusa, the city with the fantastic archaeological park, catacombs, and Baroque beauties we'd visited that morning, hadn't whet our appetite, then the nearby city of Noto, another UNESCO World Heritage site, might. You’ll see why UNESCO described the town as “the final flowering of Baroque art in Europe.”

Navigating the compact city's maze of one-way and extraordinarily narrow streets was challenging, but it was just another adventure on our Sicily travels! Though the city was decimated in the 1693 earthquake, it was rebuilt in the prevailing Baroque architecture of the period. 

Both the car and suitcase or perhaps I should say the valise, looked like they came from another era!

The early 18th-century Church of St. Francis of Assisi to the Immaculate was a stunner.

Walking along Corso Vittorio Emmanuele, the pedestrianized main street, was an enjoyable aesthetic experience as we took in the honey-colored buildings that were remarkably homogenous in style but never dull. 

Two views of Ducezio Palace, home to Noto's City Hall, which had been built in the mid-17th century and was inspired by French palaces:

Across the street from the palace and just 180 meters from St. Francis was the monumental staircase of the town's domed Cattedrale di San Nicolo, an undisputed highlight of the Baroque architecture for which Noto is world-famous. After the dome collapsed in 1996, the interior was restored over the next decade. 

The image of the Pentecost in the dome: 

Underneath were paintings representing Christ holding the church teachings and the Virgin Mary.  

The cathedral only had a copy of Rafael's painting, as the Spaniards had captured the original, which is now displayed in the Prado in Madrid. 

The mid-18th-century Landolina Palace belonged to the Marquises of San Alfano, one of the city's most illustrious and ancient Norman families. Between 1838 and 1844, King Ferdinand II of Bourbon and Queen Maria Theresa of Austria were hosted there. In front was the First World War Memorial.

The Church of San Carlo Borromeo was built between 1730 and 1750 for Noto's Jesuit order. Its facade featured a Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian columns. 

The 19th-century Teatro Tina Di Lorenzo was named in honor of Italian stage and silent-film actress Tina Di Lorenzo, who starred from 1872 to 1930. She was one of the numerous stars who graced its stage. I was impressed that the small town's theater also had paintings by the famous Caravaggio.

There was lots of ooing and aahing going on by the locals when they spotted this tiny car. We didn't know why, so we followed it a few blocks through town with many others. 

Aha - the destination was a wedding at the Church of St. Francis!

If you're ever lucky enough to find yourself in southeast Sicily, make sure to add captivating Noto to your itinerary. You'll be glad you did! 

Our day wasn't over yet. We headed to Modica, another UNESCO World Heritage site and our final destination, via Ispica and what looked like Sicily's breadbasket.

If you're familiar with movies set in Italy, the shot of old men sitting on benches in town squares is a common one.

We didn't realize until we arrived in Modica that Corso Umberto 1, the town's main thoroughfare, was closed because a marathon was taking place that night away from the heat of the day.  

Shops and restaurants lined the valley at the bottom of the town called Modica Bassa, while the old town of Modica Alta was built atop a ridge.

Our apartment was like living in a fairy tale, with spectacular views of both the lower and upper towns.

Modica's World War II Memorial with City Hall in the background:

There can't be many people who love chocolate more than I do, so I was in heaven in Modica, a town famed for its chocolate! Unfortunately, we were too late to tour the Museo del Cioccolato di Modica, a museum in the center of the old town dedicated to the local sweet. The town's chocolate, with its distinct granular texture and cooked at a low temperature, is prized above all others. 

The Duomo di San Pietro Apostolo's staircase was lined with statues of the Apostles. The cathedral, originally constructed in the 14th century, was destroyed in the 1693 earthquake and needed to be rebuilt. Unfortunately, it was closed in the late afternoon. 

We wandered next up the steep 14th-century lanes and endless staircases lined with Baroque architecture, hoping to view the Chiesa de San Giorgio in Modica Alta.

After climbing 250 steps that crisscrossed a monumental staircase, like the one in Noto, we reached the church's main doors. The effort had been well worth all our heavy breathing for the stunning views over the old town.

The view was even more magical a bit later at dusk.

 A look back at the church and ...

a tourist train making its way through town, again like we'd seen in Noto.

At the bottom of the long staircase was the Teatro Garibaldi.

I didn't need a translator to understand the sign outside one shop: "Try our chocolate." Believe me, I needed no further urging!

I climbed the cathedral's steps hoping to see its interior while Steven waited at the bottom. An employee told me it was closed due to a special celebration, but she took pity on me and kindly allowed me to take a few pictures when I told her I couldn't return the next day. Walking up the steps gave me great views of the Apostles' statues. 

My chicken and salad dinner was delicious, but I found it odd the 'salad' consisted only of lettuce with oil and vinegar on the table. 

I know nothing about marathons, so I haven't a clue where Modica's attracted top-notch or middle-of-the-road athletes. In any event, it was fun watching the men run laps around the city center from a great vantage point on the street and later from our balcony!

Next post: More of the Val di Noto with a stop in Ragusa with 14 UNESCO World Heritage buildings!

Posted on January 5th, 2025, from Denver, a few hours before I fly back to my hometown of Ottawa for the second time in six weeks to be with my very sick brother. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones, and remember to tell them how precious they are to you. Life is too short not to.