Val di Noto

The Val di Noto is an area in south-eastern Sicily, bathed by the waters of the Ionian Sea, representing a valley composed of late Baroque municipalities including the towns of Caltagirone, Militello in Val di Catania, Catania, Palazzolo Acreide and the cities of Ragusa, Modica, Noto and Scicli.

Unesco declared the Val di Noto a World Heritage Site in 2002, attributing great value to the site’s wealth and historical heritage.

History tells of how these towns already existed in the distant Middle Ages, but also how they were razed to the ground after the 1693 earthquake and then rebuilt at the behest of the Viceroys of Sicily.

In retrospect of the immense tragedy experienced by the inhabitants of the time, we can certainly evaluate the flipside of the coin in an absolutely positive way: the reconstruction of these cities in this new form made them unique in our country and the world.

Over the years, in fact, they have become important tourist destinations.

The city of Modica, with its small, ancient centre perched on the hill, the Cathedral of San Giorgio and the Church of San Pietro.

Caltagirone, well known for its artistic ceramics, still produced strictly by hand.

Scicli, a small diamond finally made famous by the filming of Commissario Montalbano, dotted with historic buildings and churches rich in stucco and works of art.

Ragusa, also known as Ibla in antiquity, the city with two centres: the old and the new, rebuilt on a medieval model.

Noto, the city of the infiorata and the palaces of Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

Militello in Val di Catania, the town rebuilt with ancient stones that became a Signorìa.

Catania, the black and white city, a Baroque pearl full of culture and places to discover.

And finally Palazzolo Acreide, the town in which Greek culture and Baroque fused perfectly to create a new form of modern building that transformed it into a whole new cultural and political hub.