South East Sicily Chamber of Commerce

The south-eastern part of Sicily is home to the UNESCO site “The late Baroque Cities of the Val di Noto”, listed as World Heritage Sites in 2002. It includes 8 cities: Caltagirone, Militello Val di Catania, Catania, Modica, Noto, Palazzolo, Ragusa and Scicli . All were rebuilt after the terrible earthquake of 1693, which razed entire inhabited centers to the ground. The current face of this area of ​​the island is therefore the result of a reconstruction of cities conceived as works of art, masterpieces of late 17th century baroque. The site represents the culmination of the Baroque in Europe, between sumptuous and elegant palaces, churches with stunning inlaid facades, precious interiors and carefully woven urban textures.