UNESCO World Heritage Sicilian Baroque Sites
After the worst earthquake in the history of Italy devastated eastern Sicily in 1693, the ruling Spanish used local architects, sculptors, and stone to rebuild the local towns, achieving a remarkable expression of local character in Baroque style. Eight towns were recognized in 2002 with a UNESCO World Heritage designation for their Sicilian Baroque.
In addition to Siracusa, these include:
Noto is the jewel of this group, famous for its honey-colored limestone that glows in the evening sun. Catania is Sicily’s second largest city, full of reasons to visit. But well worth visiting as well are Ragusa and Modica, whose buildings rise splendidly on steep sites, and Caltagirone, Sicily’s ceramics center. Then there are Scicli and Militello Val di Catania, and Palazzolo, with its rarely visited ancient Greek town and Cybele worship sites, all are gems well off the tourist track similarly gorgeous.