SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST 213 Syracuse Noto di Vendicari Oasi Faunistica Riserva Naturale Ragusa Modica

( p228 ), Modica ( p235 ) Noto ( p232 ) Ragusa Riserva Naturale Oasi ( p217 ), where ancient Greece and and ancient Greece ), where p217 ( a voluptuous baroque town, restored to its to its a voluptuous baroque town, restored utmost glory Ortygia Ortygia 18th-century baroque jostle for space ( p233 ) and delicious food as you explore the the and delicious food as you explore undiscovered relatively in equally extravagant architecture beaches at the di Vendicari Faunistica Delight in the beauty of baroque architecture and the Indulge in the rich dark chocolate of Bask in the golden reflection some of Sicily’s wildest and quietest Find of Syracuse’s streets Stroll down the magical

„ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „

Starting glorious Syracuse which, like with elegant dame, just gets better some noble and Modica and RagusaIf that’s not enough, the coastline running underneath east all the way One of the most magical corners of Sicily, Syracuse and the southeastern partsoutheastern Syracuse and the corners of Sicily, the island of One of the most magical food and some beautiful beaches and amazing historical remains, brim with Sicilian baroque, the same time this part unflooded At somehow manages to remain of the world landscapes. by tourism – how perfect is that? city. But make with age, you’ll likely gorgeous find it hard to pull yourself away from this do, for a little further you ‘baroque triangle’: Noto, a the sure you’ll reach from Syracuse friendly and of the style; the to Sicilian baroque and a paradise for lovers shrine renovated baroque and sigh the dramatic well, admire you’ll eat and drink charming Modica, where the knockout that palazzos; and finally, pastel-coloured the landscape of cluttered over of with dozens Ragusa, abundant with baroque and teeming undiscovered is the largely restaurants. delightful B&Bs and great – is full of long sandy and pebble beaches di Vendicari to RiservaFaunistica Naturale Oasi not too crowded in high season – so swimming opportunities and relaxed most of which are no two ways about it: the southeast is a stunner. There’s top class too. are in this area Syracuse & the Southeast © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © 212 SS115

SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST prestige duringthe Greek periodand its after all,arivalto Athensinpower and digs inthemainland partof town.Itwas, and Romanamphitheatre and archaeological of Ortygiaor getting sunstroke attheGreek you’re thenarrow streets walkingthrough is connected tothemainlandby a bridge. Ortygia island–theoldpartof town,which andtip, isdividedinto‘mainland’Syracuse city, stickingoutonSicily’ssoutheastern in thewholeof Sicily.Thisoddlyshaped picture-perfect (Siracusa) citythanSyracuse It’s quite possiblethatthere isn’tamore pop 122,900 214 SYRACUSE Michele San (20km) To Gela SYRACUSE &THESOUTHEAST Caltagirone Syracuse’s historyishardtoforgetSyracuse’s when Mirabella Scoglitti M EDITRAN Necropoli di YAUE • itr SYRACUSE ••History Camarina Vittoria Croce Santa Acate SS417 di Ragusa Marina S EA Pietrarossa Serbatoio di Donnafugata SS514 SS385 Giubiliana Eremo della Ramacca Grammichele Comiso Chiaramonte Dirillo Lago Monterosso Gulfi Ragusa Mineo Licodia Sampieri Scicli Palagonia SS115 Vizzini SS124 Giarratana di Modica Marina Modica Militello Francofonte (986m) Lauro

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l e i S Venera Ferla (870m) Acreide Palazzolo Gregorio Rosolini (639m) history, which dates back 3000years tothe proudof isrightly itsillustriousSyracuse HISTORY cies, you’re infor a treat. andMediterraneansummer delights delica- you wantbeautyandhistorysprinkled with lookingforquietpleasuresand those –butif nightlife –it’s in factfavoured byfamilies isn’tacityyou’llcometofor the Syracuse tre hasmadeitshinewitharenewed beauty. and arecent spring-cleanof thehistoriccen- funandgastronomicdelights, beauty, seaside licious: thecityisaperfect mixof history, palazzo. and nook,streetillustrious pastisvisibleinevery (Malta; 80km) Mezzo Mt To Valletta SS287 But Syracuse’s modern guise isjustasde- modernguise But Syracuse’s

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Capo Passero Calabernado Anapo A18 Avola Lido Isola CapoPassero Megara Hyblaea Brucoli I ONASE Priolo Gargallo lonelyplanet.com Fontane Bianche Ciane Augusta Eurialo Castello SS115 di Noto Golfo Ognina Arenella Syracuse Ortygia 6 miles 10 km the age. Luminaries flocked toSyracuse, thefinestintellectuals ofand patronised impressive programmeof publicworks were, tyrantscommissionedan Syracusan called Acradinafouryears later. Thegrowing town panded ontothemainlandwithasecond whoex- rival of theCorinthians(734BC) of themoderncityweren’t laiduntilthear- thefoundations by Siculiantribes.However, time whentheislandof Ortygiawassettled lonelyplanet.com city bythe Romansin 211 BC. tostave ofenough off theransacking the byArchimedes wereious defences devised new Romanthreat. theingen- Butnoteven quointheface of thestatus the preserving tered of aseries unsteady alliancesaimedat Archimedes. patronised his tutorPlato;andHieronII(275–216 BC) ‘philosopher-king’ theoriesexpoundedby wasgreatly taken withthe (r 367–343BC) Dionysius II by HieronI(r478–66BC); theatre. PindarandAeschylus were invited thebirthof comicGreekthat wastosee cultivating thesophisticated urbanculture the city’s notorious quarries. ecution were years incarcerated forseven in prisonersunmerciful: those whoescapedex- revengecompletely destroyed. Syracuse’s was wasalmost strategy andthefleet Syracusan ning andweaksupplylineswere nomatch for into itshands,butoverconfidence, poorplan- puttogether, ever fleet todeliver Syracuse the Peloponnesian War. down wellinAthens, embroiled asitwasin ofthe successes colonydidn’tgo thisupstart in theMediterranean basin.Understandably which allowedthecitytodominate trade BC), of attheBattle Himera(480 Carthaginians city’s fortunescamewiththedefeat of the lation. Butthereal turningpointforthe gering asharp increase inthecity’spopu- Sicilian coloniestransfer trig- toSyracuse, ordered thatthepopulationsof allother thecityand seized (540–478BC), Gelon the‘tyrantof Gela’, Carthage. In485BC to theMediterranean powers of Athensand and begantradingonitsown,anewrival sooncutitstieswithCorinth ous, Syracuse nearby. flowed torrential stream, calledtheSyrakò,which city of derived Syracoussai itsname froma Following Dionysius’death,thecity en- theyoftenCruel andviciousthough thelargest Athensassembled In 415BC Well protected andincreasingly prosper- SYRACUSE••Orientation scanning. Alsorents out mobile phones. digital downloadsand screen computers, colourprinting, Ortygia; Internet Train Internet Web Eureka Prices are around€6perhour. Internet Access Police Emergency INFORMATION great restaurants and good-quality hotels. onOrtygiafortheatmosphere, Stay discussed. thisisstillbeing pedestrian,though totally the island.There of istalk makingOrtygia and nononresidents are allowedtoparkon fromPiazzadellaPosta, on Ortygia,starting Ortygia. are Free electricbuses nowoperating main street thecentre runningthrough of until youreach thebridge. ViaRomaisthe andcontinuedownCorso Umberto Gelone about 15to20minutes –headdownCorso arrive bybus.WalkingtoOrtygiawilltake you and thisiswhere you’llbedroppedoffifyou of thebusyshoppingstreet, Corso Gelone, Park. islocated tothewest Thetrainstation across towninthe NeapolisArchaeological two areas: ontheislandof Ortygia,and2km ageable are citytovisit.Themainsights in Tidy isavery andcompact,Syracuse man- ofdevelopment the postwar years. a trend thatcontinuedwiththeuglyurban andthecitybegantoexpandoncemore,tal wasmadeaprovincialin 1865Syracuse capi- style. baroque massive programmeof reconstruction inthe vantage of thedamaged city toundertake a energetic urbanrenewal asplanners tookad- quake for wasthecatalyst in1693,however, the next800years. TheVal diNotoearth- and famine,plagueearthquakes marked vincial town.Thepopulationfell drastically, reduced tolittlemore thanafortifiedpro- but wassacked bytheSaracensin878and upcourthere, set in AD663whenConstans ofbriefly thecapital theByzantineempire praetors, butthecitywasindecline. Itwas of ofthe capital the Sicilyand wastheseat multimedia services multimedia services available. Ortygia; Ortygia; ORIENTATION Following theunificationof SicilyandItaly remainedUnder RomanruleSyracuse ( h h % 7.30pm-midnight Tue-Sat) Fifteen fast,flat- 9.30am-1.30pm & 4.30-9pm Mon-Sat) Other 9.30am-1.30pm &4.30-9pmMon-Sat)Other 0931 495111;ViaSanSebastiano) ( % ( % 0931 6 07 67; Via Castello Maniace 23, 0931 60767;ViaCastelloManiace 0931 468797;ViaRoma 122,

215 SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST 216 Catania (60km) Limoneto (9km); Azienda Agrituristica To SS124; Pantalica (40km) Noto (25km);Necropolidi Fontane Bianche(19km); Arenella (8km);Ognina(10km); (6km); CastelloEurialo(7km); To BoatTripsonRiverCiane SYRACUSE YAUE SYRACUSE 86

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ent Via VVeneto Via Testaferrata 1) Sun) Other multimedia services multimediaservices Sun) Other available. 11am-2pm&4.30-9.30pmSat,6-10pm & 4-10pmMon-Fri, lonelyplanet.com Main Tourist Office Office Tourist Main Tourist Information Post Office Post Settembre andon Via Roma. ATMs, butthere are acouplearoundViaXX Ortygiaisalittlelessprolificwithits Gelone. Umberto andthere are banksonCorso Numerous banks(allwithATMs) line Corso Money Provinciale Ospedale Generale Medical Services Web &Work city map – ask about the cumulative tickets for thesites. city map–ask aboutthecumulative tickets staffandauseful 3.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat) English-speaking 43; -siracusa.it; ViaSanSebastiano Mon-Fri, 8am-1pmSat)Alsooffers currencyMon-Fri, exchange. Main TouristOffice...... Internet Train...... Information Booth...... (see19) Eureka Web...... Boccadifuoco...... Museo delPapiro...... Orsi...... Museo ArcheologicoPaolo Miqwe...... (see 47) Lido Maniace...... Latomia Intagliatella...... Latomia diSantaVenera...... Latomia delParadiso...... Grotta deiCordari...... Ginnasio Romano...... Fontana Aretusa...... Edificio Termale...... Chiesa SanNicolòdeiCordari... Chiesa diSantaLuciaallaBadia.. Sepolcro...... Chiesa diSantaLuciaal Cathedral...... Catacombs...... (see 14) Catacombs...... (see 17) Castello Maniace...... Basilica diSanGiovanni...... Arsenal...... Ara diIeroneII...... Anfiteatro Romano...... Web &Work...... Syrako TouristServices...... Post Office...... Police...... Ospedale GeneraleProvinciale.... Ortygia TouristOffice...... SIGHTS &ACTIVITIES INFORMATION (Piazza dellaPosta15; (Via Roma 16-18, Ortygia; Roma16-18,Ortygia; (Via SYRACUSE••Sights ( % 0931 481200;www.apt 29 28 27 DRINKING 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 h h C2 C2 B2 B5 A4 C3 B2 B2 B5 B1 B5 B6 C4 A2 B6 B1 B1 A2 A2 B3 A6 C3 B2 B5 C2 B5 D5 B2 C3 ( % 8.30am-1.30pm & 8am-6.30pm Necropoli deiGrotticelli...... Theatre...... Museum ofAncientGreek Moderna...... Museo Regionaled'ArteMedioevalee Museo delleLacrimazione...... (see42) Biblios Cafe...... Antico Mercato(OldMarket)... Sognatori...... Viaggiatori, Viandantie Milano...... Hotel Roma...... Hotel Gutkowski...... Hotel GranBretagna...... Grand Hotel...... Domus Mariae...... B&B L'Acanto...... B&B CasaMia...... Alla Giudecca...... Tempio diApollo...... Teatro Greco...... Syracusan Forum...... Swimming Spot...... Lacrime...... Santuario dellaMadonnadelle Sailing Team...... Piazza SantaLucia...... Piazza Archimede...... Palazzo Platamone...... Palazzo Municipale...... Palazzo Lanza...... Palazzo BeneventanodelBosco.. Palazzo Arcivescovile...... Orecchio diDionisio...... EATING SLEEPING h 0931 68555; 10am-2pm English-speaking staffand lots ofgood English-speaking information. tranza 33; For information and tickets to Malta from toMalta For informationandtickets Pozzallo. dei Cordari inthe dei Cordari Parco Archeologico. There isalsoaninformationboothattheChiesaSanNicolò and rust red Venetian palazzi the innerharbour of quietlybobbingboats access theislandacross thePonte Nuovo, past bined inaharmonious symmetry.Youcan com- andbaroque –purposefully Aragonese of asuccessionof epochs –Greek, Norman, ical heartof thecity.Itisalivingmuseum The islandof Ortygia isthespiritualandphys- Ortygia SIGHTS Services Syrako Tourist Boccadifuoco Travel Agencies Office Tourist Ortygia see more of the province. See see more oftheprovince.See p222 for tour details. Canhelpcarlesspeopleto 3-8pm Mon-Sat,toursJul-Sep) Marina; .syrako.it inItalian; Largo Porta 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 h B5 D3 A4 C2 B4 B4 B5 B5 A5 B5 A2 A4 B1 B6 B6 C3 B5 D4 C4 C4 D4 B5 C3 C5 D4 A2 C3 B6 C2 8am-2pm Mon-Sat & 2.30-5.30pm Mon-Fri) 8am-2pm Mon-Sat&2.30-5.30pmMon-Fri) ( TRANSPORT ENTERTAINMENT Selene EmbarkationPoint...... Main BusStation...... Intercity &UrbanBusStation.... Interbus BusTicketOffice...... AST BusTicketOffice...... Allakatalla...... Lecomarí...... Izzo Oro...... Circo Fortuna...... Piccolo TeatrodeiPupi...... San Rocca...... Peter Pan...... Il Sale...... Café Giufá...... Trattoria Pescomare...... Trattoria laFoglia...... Trattoria Archimede...... Taberna Sveva...... Solaria Vini&Liquori...... Sicilia inTavola...... Pasticceria TipicaCatanese...... Le Baronie...... La Medusa...... La GazzaLadra...... Jonico-a Rutta'eCiauli...... II Gattopardo...... Gran CaffèdelDuomo...... Caffè Minerva...... SHOPPING % 0931 46 38 66; Viale Mazzini 8) 0931 463866;VialeMazzini ( % ( % 0931 464255;ViaMaes- 0931 24133;www h

(palaces). In 9am-1pm & 72 71 70 69 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 86 85 84 83 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 B5 B6 A4 D5 B5 A4 C3 B4 B6 A4 D2 A4 A5 B5 A4 B3 C3 D3 C3 B5 C4 B5 A6 B5 B5 B6 A5 A4

217 SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST 1t-etr manuscripts. 13th-century to theBiblioteca Alagoniana andsomerare Municipale Municipale (Archbishop’s Palace; the elegant,17th-century tothecathedral’s southernsideis Attached thetemple’s remains,see justaskatthegate. asthecityhall.To The mansionnowserves Artemis’, towhomOrtygiawasdedicated. Ionic temple, better knownasthe‘couch of have uncovered theunfinishedremains of an recent years, excavations beneath thebuilding intoastone. In signature: asmalllizardcarved the leftcornerof thecorniceis thearchitect’s nicknamed ‘IlLucertolone’or‘thelizard’.On 1629 bytheSpanisharchitect JuanVermexio, the spot. same ofdays astatue theVirgin Mary in stands nowa- asabeacontosailors atsea; served ofcrowned byagoldenstatue Athenathat Theroof theCarthaginians. wasfighting with magnificentpaintingsof Agathocles in goldandivory,whiletheinterior waslined Thedoors were adorned the 1stcenturyBC. part thankstoCicero,whovisited Ortygiain theMediterranean,throughout innosmall ofviving evidence theisland’s first settlers. the Siculithree centuriesearlier,theonlysur- more extraordinaryisanaltar contours stillsupportthecathedralroof. Even ible bothinsideandout,theirweathered Doriccolumnsare vis- nal 5th-century-BC original Greek temple of Athena. Theorigi- Andrea Palma, the which thinlydisguises columns andMarabitti designedby statuary h the of earthquake. 1693 by baroquemansionsconstructed after the of theGreek city,surroundedasitnowis Piazza delDuomo,theone-timeacropolis architecturalso indisguised relics such asthe andparticularly ismuch inevidence, essence Despite Greek its baroqueveneer, Syracuse’s PIAZZA DELDUOMO so will you). the townnowbreathes withcleanlungs(and (except forlocalparking),which meansthat newlustre;bright ithasalsogonecar-free renovations,serious makingitshine witha recent years Ortygiahasundergone some 218 North of thecathedralis The originalGreek temple wasrenowned The piazza’scentrepiece isthelofty façade 8am-noon &4-7pm) YAUE • ihs SYRACUSE ••Sights cathedral orPalazzo builtin Senatoriale,

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Antonello daMessina’s ( the mansion, the13th-centuryPalazzo Bellomo, inOrtygia’sfinestCatalan-Gothic Housed MEDIOEVALE E MODERNA MUSEO REGIONALED’ARTE on summer evenings. is plants, thefountain lated byducks,grey mulletsandpapyrus came tothesurfaceinOrtygia. Nowpopu- by Alpheus,theirwaters minglingasshe hotlypursued from Arcadiaunderthesea, AretusaAlpheus. Inherwatery fled guise the unwelcomeattention of theriver god Aretusa intothespringtoprotect herfrom transformed herbeautifulhandmaiden hasitthatthegoddessArtemisply. Legend times whenitwasthecity’smainwater sup- fresh water bubblesupasitdidinancient Aretusa,Picherali, istheFontana where Just southof PiazzadelDuomo,alongVia FONTANA ARETUSA reign of theRoman emperor Diocletian. who wasmartyred duringthe atSyracuse dedicated toStLucy,thecity’spatronsaint, ern endisthe pretty 18th-century façade,whileatitssouth- the panse. It is the highlight of Itisthehighlight panse. the collection. of goldenbrownex- colourin an otherwise redwhose cloakprovides theonlysplash is naturallydrawn tothecentralmourner with thestillness of thespectators; theeye of thegravediggersefforts contrast starkly catching herupturnedchin. Thebrutish framing thelifeless bodyof StLucy,thelight sition asimpletriangleof twogravediggers dark andbroodingbackground,the compo- room. Itisahuge work,halfof which isa Lucy; 1609),which ispresented initsown Sepoltura diSanta Lucia (Annunciation; 1474)and Caravaggio’s outforits stands ferocious energy. Innocenti religious painting,of which and Spanish paintingsandlotsof bloodthirsty includeByzantineicons century. Highlights dating fromtheMiddleAges uptothe20th able collectionof sculpture andpainting h % Other exceptionalpieceshere are In thenorthwestern cornerof thesquare is 9am-1.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-12.30pmSun) 9am-1.30pm Mon-Fri, 093 169617;ViaCapodieci14;adult/concession€6/3; Palazzo Beneventano delBosco Palazzo Beneventano Museo Regionale d’Arte Medioevale eModerna Medioevale d’Arte Regionale Museo (TheMurderof theInnocents) Chiesa di Santa LuciaallaBadia the placetohangout (The Burialof St Annunciazione lonelyplanet.com La Strage degli , which hasa hasasiz- La ,

the d’Italia. Banca lies thelabyrinth of thecrumbling heart of theoldguildquarter, behind which 19th-century is thehandsomePiazzaArchimede, withits attheheartofexperience. Right theisland that characterises Ortygiaisanatmospheric mazeof thetangled alleys Walking through PIAZZA ARCHIMEDE &AROUND lonelyplanet.com Acradina quarter, directly across thebridge onthemainland.The exploring thesights as Ortygia,youshould timeto stilldevote it’snotnearlyaspicturesqueAlthough The Mainland for musicaland theatrical performances. (see p222 ) when itistheatmosphericvenue Ortygia andGreek ClassicalDramaFestivals tothepublic,exceptduring ally off-limits asabarracks,thecastle is gener-Still used that turnedOrtygiaintoanisland fortress. part of amassive programmeof construction century offrom thebases a few columns. Doric structure,of apart the6th-centuryBC first Greek structures builthere. Littleremains Apollo At theentrancetoOrtygialies OTHER SIGHTS the charming Mauceri brothers (see p225 ). inItalian;ViadellaGiudecca17) www.pupari.it brand of ofthat wasforthesoleuse the rabbi. vent flooding.There private isaseparate, pool has tobepumpedoutof thechamber topre- bubblewithfreshwater,constantly which now three poolsintended immersion deep fortotal –the island in1492.Itisafascinatingsight community whentheywere expelledfromthe but were blocked upbymembers of theJewish baths were onceconnected tothesynagogue, covered The some20mbelowgroundlevel. GB Alagona52;admission€5; miqwe of AllaGiudeccahotel, anancientJewish the oldJewish ghetto. Duringtherenovations Lanza palazzi,including by Catalan-Gothic ‘drawingroom’andissurrounded Syracuse’s by handmaidensandsirens. Thesquare is Artemis (thegoddessof hunting)surrounded At thesoutherntipof theisland isthe13th- Also intheJewish own quarter isSyracuse’s East ofEast thepiazzaisViaMaestranza, the andthe

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admission free; a smalltheatre attheheartof abuildingthat century. Despite thename,thiswasactually elsewhere, Christians conducted their burials did notextend beyondOrtygia). Forcedtogo limits (which duringtheRoman occupation not allowedtobury theirdeadwithinthecity According toRomanlaw,Christianswere CATACOMBS OFTYCHE after those in Rome. open tothepublic)thatare thelargest inItaly is animpressive networkof was martyred in304.Underneaththechurch byStAgatha, after beingblessed saintliness to herself an aristocraticgirlwhodevoted the spotwhere Lucia, thecity’spatronsaint, Sepolcro end isdominated bythe gest squares, soap dish in 668. wasassassinated witha Emperor Constans wherea Byzantinebathhouse itisclaimedthe ruins of the pulled forre-provisioning. Adjacentare the rectangular pitsintowhich shipswouldbe remains of theancient (take Viadell’Arsenale) are thefenced-off theatre directly behind the stage. alargealso contained atriumandanother ruins of the to):the fewworth visiting(though seem ever well isasight along ViaElorina,however, architecture. hideous of busystreets andovershadowed bysome (marketplaces), byanumber isnowbisected oncethesite of(Foro Siracusano), theagora Near PiazzaleMarconi theold functional andnottoopleasingontheeye. of stamp mistakable thepostwaraesthetic: most of theAcradinaquarter bears theun- in1944), in 1943andthenbytheLuftwaffe Bombed twiceduringWWII(bytheAllies ACRADINA the archaeological park. thereal thing,gowesttoNeapolisand To see renowned Archeologico Paolo Museo Orsi. are thecity’sextensive andthe catacombs name. Tothe northeastintheTyche quarter the site of of theancientsettlement thesame from Ortygia,isthemoderncity,builton North of thearsenal isoneof thecity’sbig- Along thewater totheeastof theforum A few hundred metres westof theforum . The17th-centurychurch isbuilton h Edificio Termale Piazza SantaLucia Ginnasio Romano 9am-1pm Mon-Sat) arsenal Chiesa diSantaLuciaal (ThermalBuilding),

, builtinthe1st (Roman Gymnasium; , whose northern , whose catacombs , once a set of, onceaset Syracusan Forum (not 219

SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST dell’Acqua and theimmodest modestyof of thestatue tably amothersucklingtwins, from Megara B),mostno- Hyblaea(Sector thearchaicof work between which canseen undoubtedly thesculpture, thedevelopment of C).Thestar theshowis inSector cased Eloro, Akrai,Kasmenai and Kamarina (show- at anditssatellite settlements itself Syracuse excavatedthoroughly site ontheisland, to such asMegarasettlements Hyblaea,themost from Pantalica A),toearlyGreek inSector toric artefacts (such astheearthenware pots tion onthethree of sections the museum. asareferencethat serves pointwithinforma- At thecentre of thebuildingisalarge atrium accessible. iswheelchair lection. Themuseum well-organised andextensivethoroughly col- to uncovering itsancienttreasures) a contains thenext45years in1886anddevoted Syracuse the archaeologist Paolo Orsi, whoarrived in (namedafter themuseum the VillaLandolina, €6/3; Paolo Orsi the archaeological museum, from PiazzaEuripede)isSicily’smostextensive At thetopof (which runsnorth VialeCadorna MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO PAOLO ORSI Orsi. Paolo Archeologico now onexhibitionintheMuseo unearthedin1872and one: asarcophagus victim totombrobbers over thecenturiesbar panied thedeadontheirspiritualjourneyfell for praying.Allof thetreasures thataccom- rotonde, the mainchamber niches from line thewallsandtunnelsleadoff ofdank andalittlespooky.Thousands little one of itspillars andflogged todeath in 254. city’s first bishop, StMarcian, whowastiedto as thecity’scathedralandisdedicated tothe open tothesun.In17thcenturyitserved ispretty,itself window withitsskeletal rose opposite themaintouristoffice. Thechurch free/€4; Giovanni cept theonesunderneath chambers, mostof which are inaccessibleex- result wasalabyrinthinenetworkof burial outandthe times. Newtunnelswere carved derground sinceGreek aqueducts,unused in theoutlyingdistrictof Tyche andits un- 220 The collectionrunsthegamutfromprehis- The h YAUE • ihs SYRACUSE ••Sights h 9am-2pm Tue-Sat) catacombs

( (Via San Sebastiano; admissionchurch/catacombs SanSebastiano; (Via roundchambers bythefaithful used % 9am-12.30pm &2.30-5pmWed-Mon) (Venus Emerging fromtheWater), 0931 46 40 22; Viale Cadorna; adult/concession 0931 464022;VialeCadorna;adult/concession here are, forthemostpart, (decumanus maximus) . Located inthegroundsof Museo Archeologico Archeologico Museo Venere Uscendo Basilica diSan , directly into Teocrito 66;admissionfree; admission free; Lacrymation; admission€1.55; Roman periods,aswelltheremains of andstreets fromtheGreekhouses and work revealed anextensive network of (it openedin1994andreaches of aheight newestlandmarkbuilding drop, Syracuse’s modelledontheshapeofSupposedly atear LACRIME SANTUARIO DELLAMADONNA DELLE Stone. Rosetta teresting andacopyof papyruscanoes the alsofeaturescentury. Themuseum somein- tomakeand wasused paperinthe18th around theRiver Ciane,nearSyracuse, products. Theplantgrowsinabundance exhibits includingpapyrusdocumentsand small The MUSEO DELPAPIRO (opposite ). Neapolis della spentintheParcopleasantly Archeologico whole morning,whiletheafternoon canbe of Gela and Agrigento. of material foundinthemajor Doriccolonies Pegasus. There isalsoaninteresting selection grimacing terracotta faceof theGorgon with tuary toDemeter), andmore famouslythe to theMadonnina (onceasanc- delleLacrime ferings toDemeter thatwere excavated next Other treats are the lovely terracotta votive of- after Saverio whofounditin1806). Landolina, also knownasthe te fence. the tions, inPiazzadella Vittoria,fromoutside Youcanviewtheexcava-in themuseum. ues were found,thebestof which are now some5000terracotta votivesanctuary stat- Near theand Kore (5th–4thcenturyBC). Demeter tothegoddesses another sanctuary it. with ofevents themiracleandobjects associated 6pm) matter of months. stowed over 300miraculouscures withina allegedly weptforfive daysin1953andbe- of astatue theVirginsioned tohouse that Lacrime The cavernous 102m) isaratheruglyarchitectural conceit. During theconstructionof thechurch, The willeasilytake aVisiting themuseum , underneath the sanctuary, explainsthe , underneaththesanctuary, (Sanctuary of OurLadytheTears; (Sanctuary VialeTeocrito; Museo delle Lacrimazione delleLacrimazione Museo Museo delPapiro Museo h 8am-noon &4-7pm) Santuario della Madonna delle dellaMadonna Santuario Landolina Venus h 9am-1.30pm Tue-Sun) h

( % 9am-12.30pm &4- lonelyplanet.com wascommis- 0931 61616;Viale

(Museum ofthe (Museum (named has 06; admission€6; mighty, rough-hewn quarries,spectacular rough-hewn mighty, most visited site –notsurprisinggiven its sive About 500mwestof istheexten- themuseum PARCO ARCHEOLOGICO DELLANEAPOLIS lonelyplanet.com pillars, inthemanufacture once used of rope; (Rope-makers’ Cave), agrotto,supported by performances. asasounding boardfortheatrical later used –wasdugoutasa rock quarryanddeep likely and65m thatthegrotto–23mhigh conversations of theprisoners, butitismost have haditbuiltsohecouldlisten inonthe Dionysiusmust According toCaravaggio, as the den istheear-shaped artificialgrottoknown horse andsoldintoslavery.Siracusan before being brandedwiththemarkof the were imprisoned here years andheldforseven captured after the great battleof sea 413BC out of thesubterranean caves. TheAthenians prisoners toworkcuttingblocksof limestone the linesof aconcentrationcamp,putting planted. The Greeks ranthequarriesalong It wasonlyafter thisthatthegardenswere earthquake, leaving itopentothe sunlight. by a‘roof’ of inthe1693 earththatcollapsed site. InGreek timesthequarry wasvaulted with orange andolive trees, viathenorthern quarry fullof huge hollowsandcaves, planted delParadiso,Enter theLatomia alimestone Paradise) Latomia delParadiso (Garden of limit). time you canparkalongVialeAugustofor€1(no take about30minutes. Ifyouhave acar, Viale Teracati. ThewalkfromOrtygiawill toCorso15 fromPiazzadellaPosta Gelone/ accessible.park iswheelchair Regionale).The andtheMuseo park, museum €8archaeological ological parkandmuseum, and buythecumulative ticket here (€6archae- restaurant/café. Youcanpickupinformation San Nicolòdei Cordari intheentranceto tion deskisdisguised space aroundtheruins.Thetouristinforma- shady groves of thequarriesandample inthe yourself youcanlose and drinkstands, Once pasttheentrancelinedbysouvenir stalls theatre andimpressive, tumbledownruins. Next to it is the now-closed Next toitisthenow-closed A renowned curiosityattheheartof thegar- To get there, 1,4-6,8,11,12or take buses Parco Archeologico dellaNeapolis Parco Archeologico Orecchio diDionisio Orecchio h SYRACUSE••Sights 9am-2hr before sunset) , itself hiddenbehind a, itself (Ear of Dionysius). (Ear Grotta deiCordari , Syracuse’s , Syracuse’s ( % 0931 662 Chiesa

ad costumes. and Antico, includingmodels,designs,playbills archives of theInstitutoNazionaleDramma some of thewealthof inthe material housed Amphitheatre) interested inarchaeology, destroyedthe site in and VialePaolo Orsi. TheSpaniards, little chariots inthearea theamphitheatre between horse races.Roman punters toparktheir used Verona. and forgladiator fights Itwasused inRomeandtheamphitheatreColosseum in phitheatre, thethird-largest after inItaly the Paradiso, isthe2nd-century-AD Romanam- ticket), across theother sideof theViale In the southernzoneof theNeapolis (same % ( office orthe oftails fromthetourist which youcanobtain life againwithahostof classicaldramas,de- up tothetomb-riddledVia dei Sepolcri. family, andthegods.Forbestviewsclimb namelyHieronII’s notables, to Syracuse’s arena. bearinscriptions Someof theseats machiae they couldstage gladiatorialcombatsand made alterations tothetheatre, mostlysothat inthe3rdcenturythey Romans tookSyracuse performed here in hispresence. Whenthe and including Euripides andthelasttragedies of Aeschylus, theworkof16,000 peopleandsaw Sophocles, architecture, theancienttheatre couldseat of therockyhillside. Amasterpiece of classical is thelustrouswhite Teatro Greco, hewnout For theclassicist,hi Teatro Greco aqueducts designedby the Greeks. (see p219 ), were oncepartof theunderground like of catacombs, thecatacombs These Tyche which iswrongly ascribedtoArchimedes. of Hellenistic andByzantinetombs,oneof reach the mosteasterly pointyouwill At thehighest, di SantaVenera while arockypathcontinuesontothe Paradiso byatunnelisthe had plentyof del it.Linked totheLatomia gredient inropemanufacture andthecave in- in antiquity,humiditywasanessential Anfiteatro Romano(Roman % Every summerthetheatre to isbrought 9am-6pm Wed-Mon) 0931 483378; Prometheus Unbound, (mocknaval battles)intheflooded Necropoli deiGrotticelli The Persians, Prometheus Bound , anothercitrus-scented quarry. Museum of Ancient Greek Theatre ofAncientGreek Museum

Palazzo Greco, Corso Matteotti 29, Ortygia; Palazzo 29,Ortygia; Greco, CorsoMatteotti . The museum showcases showcases . Themuseum ghlight ofghlight theNeapolis Latomia Intagliatella which were first , ahoneycomb Latomia 221 nau-

, SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST negotiate directly for smaller groups. list of guides and theirnumbers –youcan of hasa upto18people). Thetouristoffice for halfadayto€155 forawholeday(groups groups sopricesare ranging from€110 steep, fessional tour guides.Theygenerally escort Like Palermo, hasahostof Syracuse pro- TOURS Piazza della Posta). popular pools andinletsof .blueflag.org). Abitfurthersouthare therock pristinebeach;environmentally visitwww flag classification (which denotes itasan beachessandy canbefoundat where youcandipintothewater. Bigger, €10) – tiny also abitsquashed)rent apewonSyracuse’s decent swimmingto be done. down ViaSPrivitera. It’slocal,free andthere’s a good at oneof theisland’splatform ‘beaches’ – thing inthistown.Youcangoswimming else there of islives standards every- uptothehigh are few what outdooractivities.However, isallabout urbanpleasuresSyracuse and there ACTIVITIES oxen couldbekilledat one time. wasakindofaltar giantabattoir where 450 of (Altar HieronII).Themonolithicsacrificial theatre isthe3rd-century-BC the citywallsatOrtygia. Westof theamphi- the 16thcentury,usingitasaquarrytobuild 222 23), thebestbeach onthecoast,withablue- If youwantsomethingmore glam(though from thetouristofficeorMuseumofAncientGreek Theatre ( p221 ). suremake yougoandcatchashowifyou’re intownduringthefestival. Find outwhat’son evenings.way upto€56forseatsonweekend but Youcansplashoutorgetastanding ticket, onalternatetwo Greek nights. tragediesusuallyperformed Tickets from€18andgoallthe start a festival, 1914 saw the start ofanewseriesproductions.a festival, 1914sawthestart were madetolaughforafew more hoursandthensenthome. After nearly20centurieswithout audience whippedintoafrenzy ofdeliriumdescribedbyAristotleas‘catharsis’,after whichthey (usuallyduringthethirdtragedy)saw ceremony, thehighpointofday’sperformance As thefestivalglued totheirseatsfromdawntilldusk. wasessentiallyahedonisticreligious and asatiricalworkthrowninforgoodmeasure) andnolessthanfive audiences comedieskept Feast ofa of Dionysus,godofwineandmerriment.Dailyperformances Performances inSyracuse’stheatre were pretty duringthesix-day intense affairs,particularly THE GREATEST SHOWONEARTH? Lido Maniace YAUE • ciiis SYRACUSE ••Activities a rockyplatformof sunbedsand shades Nowadays, the swimming spot Fontane Bianche (www.lidomaniace.it inItalian; 2people

Ognina Teatro Greco diSiracusa Festival isafive-minute walk (bus 21or22from , andfurtherstillthe Ara diIeroneII Arenella Arenella (bus

dock neartheGrandHotel. alonga to bring fromthe picnic lunch.Thecruisedeparts thatoffers splendidviewsofthecity.Don’tforget a ride on passengersaroundOrtygia Thistakes 1.30pm Apr-Oct) make your bookings. Note:mosttoursare inItalian. yourbookings. make and itsuppliesphonenumbersfortouroperatorssoyoucan ofcall,astourschange The websiteshouldbeyourfirstport group. runbythisconservation and botanicalitineraries, oneoftheexcursions,includingarchaeological undertake onEtna€6)Landlubbersshoulddefinitely €10, trekking toCavaCardinale trip 79; perpersonmountain-bike 92; www.entefaunasiciliana.it inItalian;VialeMontedoro Sailing Team FaunaEnte Siciliana office or at the booth at the entrance to the Museum of office oratthe boothattheentrance totheMuseum are inItalian.Tickets are availableonline,fromthetourist andJune are heldinMay Performances performers. someofItaly’sfinest attract Athens andtheproductions boasts theonlyschoolof ClassicalGreek drama outside €15-35)Today,Syracuse www.indafondazione.org; tickets Festival ClassicalDrama ofGreek FESTIVALS &EVENTS aroundthe Neapolis itineraries, and Ortygia. guides andrunsgoodtours,fromclassicaltobaroque Syrakocanhelpyouarrange Mon-Sat, toursJul-Sep) Palazzolo Acreide incllunch€45; & archaeologicalpark€15,Pantalica &Noto orBuscemi& perpersonCastelloEurialo Marina; .syrako.it; LargoPorta Services Syrako Tourist Selene euros (checkthewebsite for prices). aholidayinitselfthatrunsintothousandsof and Malta, boats andoperatesanexcitingexcursiontotheAeolians content.SailingTeam toyour heart’s snorkel alsocharters toexplore thecoastlineand thantheSelene boat trip at 10amandreturning at 6pm,youcanorganiseasexier .sailingteam.biz; ViaSavoia14;4-6people€25)Departing isheldinMayandJuneevery year,with (1hrcruiseperperson€10; ( % 0931 60808,3357850344;www ( tetracycle % ( % 0931 717335,32888570 h 0931 24133;www (three tragedies h 9am-1pm &3-8pm lonelyplanet.com ( % 12.30pm & 0931 449358; the mainland. Casa Miaissituated inanold the mainland.Casa home-away-from-home isagreat choice on family-run L’Acanto isavery popular, experimental theatre, musical events theatre, musicalevents experimental and exhibitions. and festivalcastle, thisSeptember showcasesavant-garde inthedramatic Set festival.it inItalian;CastelloManiace) Ortygia Festival Ortygia to Monday). 29,Ortygia; Corso Matteotti open 9amto6pmWednesday Ancient Greek Theatre ( Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels artistic prints onthewalls andembroider- traditionallydecoratedlightful, roomswith value-for-money s/d€50/75; .it; ViaRoma15,Ortygia; decent, with TV. too farfromOrtygia. Theroomsare plainbut a patio. internal on the A goodtraditionalbreakfast isserved is adding10extraroomstotheexisting13. after various familygrandmas,andthe furnished withfamilyantiquesandnamed mansion onCorso Umberto. Itsroomsare 112;s€30-48,d€60-80; .it; CorsoUmberto face. anyone’s and thefriendlydogNinawillputasmileon The sunnyroof terrace isperfect forbreakfast a jointbalconythatlooksontoViaRoma. gleaming andthetwofront-facing roomshave The bedsare supercomfy,thebathroomsare rated withshells,booksandoldpostcards. tasteful andstylishoutfitwithroomsdeco- loveliest B&B. Recentlyrefurbished, thisisa azzo attheendof ViaRomacradlesSyracuse’s s€35-50,d€55-75; Via Roma156,Ortygia; 2 4781,3338978351;www.bedandbreakfastsicily.it; o Budget cluster aroundthe train station. restaurants. Alltheno-frills, cheaper options its seductive atmosphere andgreat of selection Ortygia, which isthelocationof choice dueto lent hotels. Mostof thebestoptionsare on reflectedand thisiscertainly initsexcel- ondiscerningtourism pridesitself Syracuse SLEEPING the cathedraltoPiazza SantaLucia accompaniedbyfireworks. the enormoussilverstatueofsaintwendsitswayfrom thefestival ber commemoratesthecity’spatronsaint.During Festa diSantaLucia Milano Mia B&B Casa B&B L’Acanto ) Acheap andnot optionnearthestation Viaggiatori, Viandanti eSognatori Viandanti Viaggiatori,

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223 SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST brash, theGrandHotel isOrtygia’stop-class students andyoungprofessionals, thisplace pizza €3.50-7) Viale Mazzini 12, Ortygia; s/d€155/250; 12,Ortygia; Viale Mazzini of the day. a localspeciality, andtuck intothefresh fish (with anchovies, breadcrumbs andalmonds), Slow Foodguide. Trythe ing such excellentfoodthat it features inthe is asinformaltheyget, whilestill mak- 8; meals€20; shopping on their travels. American souvenirs – someonedidtoomuch Great funandfullof weirdAfricanandSouth comeshere everyone the evening forapizza. insimpleanddeliciousdishes andin cialises hugely popular,unpretentious restaurant spe- soreservations in theevenings are advised. ravioli). Itfillsupquickly of seafood thehouse, infresh dishes(trythespeciality cialises pasta h wide-ranging. and delicacies, andthechoice of wineisexcellent chovies, andotherMediterranean sardines with snacksof olives, cheese, prosciutto,an- It’s asmall,rusticwineryonthemainstreet, have abitof asnackandgoodglassof wine. it before youcommit,orifjustwantto perfect placeifyouwanttobuywineandtaste snacksfrom€5) ViaRoma86,Ortygia; casolaria.com; &Liquori Vini Solaria Restaurants land part of town. find littlereason togoandeatonthemain- Ortygia istheplaceforrestaurants, andyou’ll EATING transfers gueststothehotel’s private beach. rant thatisgreat Ashuttle intheevenings. bus rooftopclientele and hasaspectacular restau- It caters largely toawell-heeled, American of thecharacter of someof thesmallerhotels. hotel withalltherequisite amenities andnone excellent luxuryoptionwith helpful staff. andconvenient,Intimate, thisisan efficient dral isthebeautifullyrestored Hotel Roma. in thecentre of Ortygiajustbehind thecathe- s€99-130,d€149-200; 10,Ortygia; Minerva Roma Hotel Top End 224 o Sicilia inTavola Il Gattopardo Grand Hotel closed Sun) YAUE • aig SYRACUSE ••Eating La Gazza Ladra La Gazza h Tucked this awayinViaCavour

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danger of over-ordering. Thefishandseafood courses) the shapeof aboat.Thesizable areand thesalads outindishes brought inabigwhite shell(yes,shell) sotto isserved ofand presentation thedishes–huge ri- duowhotakeand-daughter prideinthesize €25) sarcophagi. with Theresauce. gardendotted is also apleasant such asswordfish withapepper-and-brandy ontraditionalcuisinewithatwist,itself prides Baronie mansion,Le Catalan-Gothic aboisterousOffering atmosphere inanold meals€25; 26,Ortygia; .com; ViaGargallo mussels). with and feast onthe Grab aspotinthevine-covered courtyard local fishdishesandawiderange of pizza. Pescomare of upapleasing selection serves meals€25) 6, Ortygia; changes often soyounever get bored. dishesarray of Themenu andpasta. seafood an once was.Three formaldiningroomsserve with B&Wphotographs of theislandasit Jul) meals€25; 8, Ortygia; very Sicilian experience. belting outofnamed tarantella) thestereo –a ditional musicwritten toaccompany adance your foodwhilstlistening (tra- to tarantellas is relaxed andfriendly,you’llget to enjoy excellent food.Trythe eat, withabigterrace inapeacefulsquare and Federico 1-2;meals€30) diSvevia pizza in the evening. Theroofand white-wine salsa. gardenserves menu includingsteak withtomato,eggplant wonderful terrace andaheartySyracusan witha onthesea ride,Jonicoisright taxi Tue) Dioisio ilGrande194;meals€25-30,pizza€3.50-8; and service Good, no-nonsense great food. wine isdecanted intoapothecarylike bottles. are delicious andreasonably priced,andthe is excellent, as is the local wine. The service is excellent,asthelocalwine. Theservice steak covered Thetiramisu seeds. insesame for tomatoes the o Rutta’eCiauli Jonico-a La Medusa Le Baronie Pescomare Trattoria Themostauthenticrestaurant inOrtygia, Very inconvenient butworththetrek or Atraditionalrestaurant runbyamother- Trattoria Archimede Trattoria cassarecie

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7.30pm-2am) 46/48, Ortygia; glassofwine€4-7; 46/48, Ortygia; Lecomarí Fortuna Greek coins and theatre masks. butsome aretentatious lovely, modelledon and gold.Someof thepiecesare very os- andMassimoCarlo workwithSciaccacoral You willfindhandmadejewellery here; home. them that willnotlookoutof placeonceyouget qualityproducts littleboutiquesselling sweet thealleysofrything else; Ortygia are fullof aseve- isaspleasant Shopping inSyracuse SHOPPING research, socheck thewebsite for updates). (which was moving locationatthetimeof and thecompanyalsohasasmallmuseum where puppets,isatNo19 you canpurchase and beheading of dragons.Theworkshop, shows canbeabitviolent:lotsof noise withverying. Beware smallchildren asthe brothers, puppettheatre Syracuse’s isthriv- Tue, Thu&Sat,5pmSun) €5; .it inItalian;ViadellaGiudecca17;tickets has itsownvery popular puppet theatre. thecity(see ues throughout p222 ), Syracuse and live musicthatisstaged invariousven- Classical Greek andcontemporary theatre, Apart fromthehealthyprogrammeof ENTERTAINMENT wine. of charcuterie huge glasses tosoakupthose alimited menuof and cheese also serves excellent placetowhileawaysometime. It and live musicmake thistinywinebaran (€5) andenjoythenight sky above. under anolive tree. orcocktails Drinkbeer crowds sittingoutsideonthesmallterrace you’ll findalittledisco-oriented placewith the nameof the game here. –are jollyandfriendly.Beer’s the barstaff and dubbeats,thecrowd–including has somegoodDJswholike reggae, jungle onto thetinysquare attheback,Giufá h Two contemporary ceramic shops are Izzo Oro Piccolo Teatro deiPupi PanPeter Il Sale closed Monwinter) Café Giufá Café

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SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST from the main bus station, locatedfrom themainbusstation, onCorso have or Messina. tochange at eitherCatania Palermo (€17.20, sixto10hours) youwill destinations.Forand otherlong-distance hours). Somegoon toRome,Turin,Milan (€5to€7.50, 1¼ three hours) and Catania for Messina (1st/2ndclass€17/12,2½ to More thanadozentrainsdepartdaily Train only. parking parking area, sincetheislandallowsresident you mustleave your car atthedesignated andpickupyourluggage,to dropoff but at thetimeof writingyou can enter Ortygia note thatasother atthemarina(€1).Please on ViaVVeneto (free) onOrtygiaandan- nowhere some kilometres out of Syracuse. andendsvirtuallyinthemiddleofbut itstarts toconnecttheSS114andSS115, is supposed andNotoit’stheSS115.Amotorway Syracuse istheSS114andbetween andSyracuse Catania becomes Corso Theroadbetween Gelone. and followitaroundtothesouth;eventually the centre of thecity,turnleftatViale Teracati onVialeScalaGreca.enter Syracuse Toreach By car,ifarrivingfromthenorth,youwill Car &Motorcycle daily MondaytoSaturday, three Sunday). toPalermoalso runbuses (€12,fourhours, six leave fromthebusstoponCorso AST Gelone. hours, ninedailyMondaytoSaturday).Buses (€6,two Monday toSaturday)andRagusa hours, onedaily),Noto(€3,hour,12daily a localnetworktoPiazzaArmerina(€8,four Sunday). three four hours, fourdailyMondaytoSaturday, Sunday) anditsairport,Palermo (€14, MondaytoSaturday,eight hours, half-hourly (€4.50,1¼ They connectwithCatania Gelone. Interbus faster andmorebuses convenient thantrains. Messina, more often thannotyou’llfind Unless or you’re comingfromCatania Bus p217). (see agency checkSyracuse, withtheBoccadifuocotravel to Pozzallo(see p235 ). Forinformationin fromMaltaThere are anumberof services Boat GETTING THERE&AWAY 226 AST There isa very large underground carpark YAUE • etn hr wy There &Away SYRACUSE ••Getting

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h bicycle/scooter 9am-1hr be- Castello Castello at thecarparknearForestry hutandtake to explore thearea youmustleave your car Cassaro; lonelyplanet.com Sicily’s most important IronandBronze AgeSicily’s most important a huge plateau above thevalley, isthesite of A further10kmfromthe Valle dell’Anapo,on Necropoli diPantalica dot nic tables your route. with flowers the rockfaces,andpic- between B are harder).Inspring,thevalleyisawash marked Aare unchallenging; paths marked one of thewalkingmapsprovided (paths by the signposted), limestonegorge adeep protected you intothe for Ferla. After about36kmthis willbring andturnoff ontothebyroad from Syracuse tryside take theSS124(viaFloridia)northwest For somebeautifullywildandunspoiltcoun- VALLE DELL’ANAPO Acreide. Palazzolo Noto tochocolate-eating Modicaandgroovy each with itsowneccentricities,fromnoble World Heritage sites: Sicilianbaroque towns, ofthe dry-stonewallsisacatalogue Unesco Amid own transport,itisworththeeffort. the region toexplore isdifficult withoutyour pre-Greek necropolisontheisland.Although mysterious Pantalica necropolis,thelargest gorges andvalleys,oneof the which contains bydeep ered andcutthrough limestonecliffs here isgently rugged, characterised byweath- itsruralatmosphere.preserved Thelandscape lar appealof thecoastlineandhas,therefore, dominated byMontiIblei,lacksthepopu- interior ofThe mountainous thesoutheast, TE SOUTHEAST THE boat upto8peoplefrom€40) bus stationonCorsoGelone. this shouldn’tbeaproblemforindividuals. Togetthere, bus21,22or23fromthemain take you crossthebridgeover theRiver Ciane. With the way,youcancheckoutruinsofOlympeion,atemple fromthe6thcenturyBC. grows wild.The plantwasoriginally agift IIbytheEgyptian Pharaoh, toHieron Ptolemy.Along Africalush papyrus,isuniqueandendangered where –theonlyplaceoutsideNorth papyrus the spring,2kmupriver, issaidtohave beenformedbyhertears. The river habitat,atangleof ofPersephoneriver theabduction dedicated tothenymphCiane,whotriedthwart byHades– A populardiversion between MayandSeptember isaboattripuptheFiume Ciane , amythical THERIVERCIANE&OLYMPEIONDETOUR: The embarkation pointfortheboatsis5kmoutsideSyracuseonSS115.TurnThe embarkation leftjustafter h Forestry Commission Forestry 7am-1hr before sunset). Valle dell’Anapo THE SOUTHEAST ••Valle THESOUTHEAST dell’Anapo ( , thebiggergroupbetter. Insummeritisconstantlybusyso % Should youwant (AnapoValley; 0931 462452;near boat rentals exquisite baroquechurches: on thenorthern of lane, isPiazzaMoro and twoother atight San Sebastiano. Northof thesquare, attheend (where departandarrive), buses walkupVia get toPiazzadelPopolo fromPiazzaPretura -acreide.it; the and the bulk of the18th-century dominated bythemassivedel Popolo,itself Akrai (see p228 ). a newPalazzolo wasbuiltintheshadowof abandoned after the1693earthquake and chitecture. townwas Theoriginalmedieval to-earth townfullof surprisingbaroquear- Palazzolo Acreide isacharmingly down- Almost completely off thebeaten track, pop 9000/elev670m PALAZZOLO ACREIDE operators. tour can comeandgo–see p222 of fordetails tours of thearea are available. deals These oratatravelin Syracuse ifany agent tosee your bestbetistoaskatthetouristoffice you have yourowntransport.Ifyoudon’t, placetoreachThe site isadifficult unless THERE&AWAYGETTING than the VeryBC. of other thetownitself littlesurvives who gave theGreeks Megara Hyblaeain664 of tobetheSiculicapital Hybla, it isthought and itsoriginsare largely mysterious although the13thand8thcenturyBC, dating between Thesite isterriblythe limestonecliffs. ancient, various shapes andsizeshoneycombedalong h necropolis, the The handsometowniscentred onPiazza 9am-sunset) tourist office tourist h Palazzo Municipale Anaktron

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. To 227 SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST €2; on a seat. The largeston aseat. figurative complexde- voted tothegoddess depicted Cybele,herself Men). are inrockandde- The12statues set stone sculptures knownas the theatre. the (Temple of Persephone), off tothewestof of andthe theIntagliata, Tempio diAfrodite Other remains are thehardlyrecognisable todateis thought fromthe1stcentury BC. of alarge banquetcutintotherockface;it one, the and altars cutintoitssides,whilethenarrower the two catacombs, many bodieswere inthere. Thelarger of the especiallywhenyouthinkabout how sight, into Christianburialchambers –afascinating (quarries). Thequarrieswere later converted thetheatreof are 600.Behind two oncehadanaudiencecapacitysemicircle it forsittingsof thelocalsenate. Thisperfect and later altered bytheRomans, whoneeded theatre suchGreek settlements as Akragas. defend theoverland tradingroute toother first to inlandcolonyestablished Syracuse’s Emanuele. Itcovers thesite of ancientAkrai, of themoderntownalongCorso Vittorio The Akrai the doorbellto gain admission. a time,andcustodianwillescortyou.Ring ing quarters. Only10peopleare allowedinat bedroomandliv- atraditionalstable, houses they groundolives tomake oil.Themuseum century farmers wouldhave wornorhow what18th- the placetogoifyouwantsee fromSicilianlife,was disappearing sothisis whathefeared topreserving himself devoted Uccello (1922–79) andsince1984amuseum. formerly thehomeof andscholar thepoet 19;admissionfree; .it; ViaMachiavelli Antonino Uccello of twirling columns. dell’Annunziata of thetown’sbaroquetreasures, the outofing right PiazzaMoro)isthefourth top of (themainroadlead- ViaAnnunziata the southernside side of thesquare isthe 228 h South of thearchaeological zoneare the The mostimpressive ruinisthe Off PiazzadelPopoloisthe Off archaeological park archaeological H OTES • Nt ••Noto THE SOUTHEAST 9am-7pm) , built at the end of the 3rd century BC , builtattheendof the3rdcentury BC Intagliatella isa20-minute walksouthwest , witharichly adornedportal ( % (Temple of Aphrodite), south 0931 881499;www.antoninouccello Intagliata , hasawonderfulrelief Chiesa diSanPaolo

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but ahop,skipandjumpfromPiazza dishes withlotsof roasted andgrilledmeats onIbleanmountain ings. Themenufocuses high-backed chairs andfloridpainted ceil- little restaurant curtains, hasswagged rose €25, setmenu€35; sages androastporkchop) willfill you up. dishes. The Popolo where thefocusisonSicilianmeat ist menu€15) heating. and del Popolo. afridge Theroomshave aTV, s €35-45,d€55-65; www.hotelsantoro.com 21; inItalian;ViaSanSebastiano TV. with ifuninspiring,rooms and hascomfortable, few hotels, isfairlymodern theSenatore Italia;s/d€39/60; Senatore Senatore Sleeping &Eating tothe is closed general public. can cadge alift.Thearea aroundthestatues ifyou guide, who’llwanttodrive down–see towaitforagroupgowiththe you’ll need five-minute but walkdowntothestatues, by Noto’s entire male population. wanders themainsquare, through glared at (1960), where MonicaVitti thepostcoital Michelangelo Antonioni’sfilm in Notoinits1960sguise zling. You’llsee the gleamingbaroquearchitecture isdaz- almost completely renovated since2002,and ofand aninnate symmetry.It’sbeen sense bythe rationalgridwork berant styletamed coherent baroquetowninSicily–itsexu- baroque styleandisnowthefinest and most rebuilt byitsnoble familiesinthegrand Flattened bythe1693earthquake, Notowas pop 23,100/elev160m NOTO onboard. tickets 14 dailyMondaytoSaturday mainbusstation Syracuse’s only waytoget here isbyAST busfrom Unless youhave your owntransport,the Getting There&Away mushrooms. and sometime during the 3rd century BC. It’sa sometime duringthe3rdcenturyBC. voted tothisparticulargoddess wascreated Il Portico Alfredo Hotel Santoro Hotel

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oe-l-a policy. open-all-day value formoney.There are 68bedsandan ing, thisplaceistheprideof Notoandgreat the centre of thingsinabeautifuloldbuild- La Notte diGiufà La Notte Infiorata Festivals &Events 1840 tofacilitate themovement of carriages. remained after Noto’sstreets were lowered in suspendedonawallnexttoit lic. Thefountain tothepub- Noto, butitisunfortunately closed in Italian;Via Bruno15;s€25-40,d€50-80; have panoramic viewsover the town. with elegantfurnishings. Upperrooms light hallways andthe bedroomsare lovely and real oldNoto. Youenter viaimposingvaulted A beautifulB&Binacrumblingold palazzo– .b-bmontandon.it; ViaASofia50;s€25-40,d€50-75; [email protected]; ViaFratelliBandiera2;dm€15) Italian). (in checkotherwise outwww.notobarocca.com Ask list, atthetouristofficeforadetailed in Noto,butthere’s aplethoraof goodB&Bs. There isvery limited hotel accommodation Sleeping the endofJuly. fromaround dawn withmusicalacts the world. Heldat madeentirely of Nicolaci withworksofart flower petals. linethelengthofViaCorrada iswhenartists Sunday inMay, Voce Barocca o YouthHostel Il Castello Noto’s colourful flowerfestival, heldonthethird Noto’scolourful B&B Montandòn

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) mains €20; happy. Book in advance. and goodbreakfasts thatkeep thepunters mismatching décor,anicelittleroof terrace hasatraditional, main street, VoceBarocca offthe two-room B&Binanoldpalazzoright Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels Slow Food–selected trattoria serves such trattoriaserves Slow Food–selected rant inNoto(andformilesaround),this 46-48;meals€25) 51; ViaUmberto delicious. and eral vegetarian optionsandthefishisfresh and thelocalslike itaswell.There are sev- ular placeisagoodcheap optioninNoto, (sweets) are divine. lent pastryshops, where the it upwithavisittooneof thetown’sexcel- food: take timetoenjoyamealandfollow The peopleof Notoare about their serious Eating town. around help withitinerariesandrecommendations facilities andvery helpfulmanagement to toric centre. Italsohasinvaluableparking ofand withineasywalkingdistance thehis- hotel with15roomsismodern,efficient Via AGramsci;s€48-78,d€84-120; home-grown. food tify theprice. Thebreakfast isdecentandthe roomsthatdon’tjus- garden, butquite stuffy minutes’ walkfromthecentre. Ithasanice Emanuele, pastPiazzaNBixio,about 15 isatthewestern endofhouse Corso Vittorio Via Pavese 1;d€70-90; Villa Canisello Villa o dellaFerlaHotel Trattoria AlBuco Trattoria (or not)with yourfriendsback home. dolci dimandorle a real Sicilianexperience. not worriedaboutcalories,throwina briocheandabitoffresh cream ontop,andyou’llhave or of crushedicewithfruitjuice).Depending ontheseason,try Emanuele 125) The famous tried themboth,wecan’targue withthisstatement. It’snowuptoyoudecideifagree. People have saidthatNotohasthetwobest I SCREAM, YOUSCREAM, WEALLSCREAM FORICECREAM amaro you shouldindulgeinatleastalickof thepistachio,abite ofthechocolate, orachompofthe Both places make superbrealBoth placesmake gelsi h (adarkliqueur)flavour. Aroundthecorner, (mulberry)flavours,orgofortheclassic Trattoria delCrocifisso Trattoria closed Mon) , which has been operating since 1892, excels in the art of the , whichhasbeenoperatingsince1892, excelsintheart Corrado Costanzo

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% ( (almond cakes andsweets) and (almondcakes % 0931 835793;www.villacanisello.it; pa Thisbustlingandpop- 0931 576007;www.hotelferla.it; 0931 838142;ViaZanardelli1; ) Thisquietfarm- Thebest restau- pa THE SOUTHEAST ••Noto THESOUTHEAST gelati

( ( % cassata % Thissmall ) and 0931 5711 0931 835243;ViaSilvioSpaventa9) (madewithricotta cheese,chocolate andcandiedfruit), dolci gelaterie

torrone for comingorgoing. area,station soit’snotasgoodan option islocatedstation 1.5kmsouthof thebus- quent (€2.65,30minutes, 11daily),butthe are TrainsfromSyracuse fre- bus service). Noto Marina (inthewinter there isaschool runfrequentlyonly, buses Notoand between Monday toSaturday).FromJuneAugust (€2.75,onehour,12dailyand Syracuse Sunday)daily MondaytoSaturday,seven (€5.75, 2¼hours, 12 fromCatania buses Noto iseasilyaccessiblebyAST andInterbus Getting There&Away food), orthelegendary fish soup. Try the place, which opensupitsterrace insummer. atthis ofstandard bothfoodandservice 30; meals€25-30; limpets. with appreciative clientele) tothespaghetti walls(signaturesfrom thegraffitied from acter of theownerandchef iseverywhere – Palazzo Astuto-Barresi. Theeccentricchar- tucked intoaconverted blockof stable the €25) pieces. pistachio cake), creamy andencrusted bygem-green is thepistachio both are equallyexquisite. must Adessert – sauce or tunainapistachio andsesame sauce in anorange, cinnamonandsesame guine with the slightly stroppy service. Trythelin- stroppyservice. the slightly good foodthatyou’llimmediately forgive caffè Caffè Sicilia (ice-cream shops)intheworld.And,having(ice-cream Ristorante Neas Ristorante IlBarocco AnotherbrilliantplacetoeatinNoto, (coffee) or (nougat),whichare forsharing perfect linguine alloscoglio

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closed Mon) ( % 0931 83 50 13; Corso Vittorio 0931 835013;CorsoVittorio semifreddo (tinywildstrawberries) (clams) andtunasteak 0931 573538;ViaRoccoPirri granita (almond).Ifyou’re You’ll find a high You’llfindahigh (adrinkmade (with mixed sea- (ice-cream

231 SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST thology) andatheatre have uncovered. been dedicated toDemeter inRomanmy- (Ceres far aportionof thecitywalls,asmalltemple in theearlystages of beingexcavated, butso isstill town, foundedinthe7thcenturyBC, in use, the reserve isreplete thereserve in use, witholdfor- nels constructed were whenthesaltpans slender-billed gulland Audoin’sgull; bird- birds, including theblack-winged stilt, protects allmannerofthe reserve water rugged Swabiantower. More importantly, tifications, anabandoned tunaplantanda heaven. in once youget there, you’llfeel like you’re about halfanhourtoget tothe beach, but beach. You’llhaveshaped, sandy to walk marshesseparate andasplendidcrescent- ismadeupofdevelopers. three The reserve of wildcoastlineprotected fromvoracious 9am-5pmNov-Mar) 6pm Apr-Oct, di Vendicari boundary of the Less than 1kmsouthof Eloroisthenorthern Vendicari Riserva NaturaleOasiFaunisticadi beach to the south. atthe a storm-water drainspillsintothesea tively free of theusual crowds.Unfortunately, ruins lieare beaches long,sandy compara- of thecoastlinealong the way. is about 4kmlongandthere are lovely views fancy walkingfromNotoMarina. Thewalk your owntransporttoget there, oryoumay thefence.at theplacethrough You’llneed youcanstillgetWhen thesite alook isclosed Helorus, or ruins of colonyof theancientSyracusan On thecoast9kmsoutheastof Notoare the Eloro located on right the seafront. mediterranea.it; VialeLido;s€75-125,d€90-150; the outof the for busservice summer season. way/return €1.50/3),butaskatthetouristoffice to NotoMarina (one fromJulytoSeptember Noto bycarorbus–there are perday fourbuses Noto If youfancyaswim,there’s thepleasant Noto Marina AROUND NOTO 232 An attractive hotel inNotoMarina is Crisscrossed by medieval water chan- bymedieval Crisscrossed On eithersideof thehillwhere thesparse Villa Mediterranea Villa atNotoMarina, 15minutes (5km)from H OTES • Aon oo ••AroundNoto THE SOUTHEAST ( % Eloro 0931 571457;admissionfree;

(admission free; Riserva NaturaleOasiFaunistica Riserva

( % , awonderfulstretch 0931 812330;www.villa h 8am-2pm) pas h . The Lido di Lido di 9am- , ) Monday toSaturday,fourSunday).In Saturday, fourSunday)orNoto(12daily (€2.10,12dailyMondaytoSyracuse ing theSAISbusconnectingNotoand as handythe bus station. isnotquite thetrainstation Noto, although Emanuele. from PiazzaUmberto,downCorso Vittorio Vittorio Veneto, about five minutes’ walk arriveNoto, buses atanddepartfromPiazza in Piazza Umberto I. is pleasing–lookfor nature of itsarchitecture andpublicplaces the earthquake. Theopenandharmonious ated whenthe townhadtoberebuilt after hexagonal shapeof thetown’sdesign,cre- willappreciateTown-planning buffs the orNoto. daytripfromSyracuse pleasant almonds (nicknamed With areputation forproducingexcellent Avola dens in Noto. Pantheon, thestreet behind thepublicgar- Pachino, orontheInterbus busfromLargo marshes. the Marked tracksmeanderthrough servatories. watchers are wellcatered forbyspecialob- Portopalo di Capo PasseroPortopalo diCapo is southeast. Marzamemi isnortheast of Pachino, while Noto, thenfollow the signssouthtoPachino. and Noto(11daily Monday to Saturday). free of pollution. the line,andhasacharming bay,thankfully bottom of thecapearea, really and nature reserve. Passero,the coastisIsolaCapo withacastle attheport.Thesmallisland off from sunset fishmarketlar insummerandhasanightly craft shops. with anoldtunafishery andtuna-based gift/ 5km away,isaratherlovely fishing town beaches,rounded bysandy while to visit. the area make place itasensual pervade African, Maltese andArabicaccentsthat in thewayof excitement, butthevarious offerSicily’s southeastern much capedoesn’t The CapeArea If you’re comingbycar, take theSS115to toPachinoInterbus hasbuses fromSyracuse Trains connectAvola and withSyracuse To get there, take anAST busfrom It ispossibletoreach theparkbytak- Pachino Portopalo di Capo Passero diCapo Portopalo isawine-growing area sur- Isola delle Correnti Isola delleCorrenti Chiesa Madre SanNicolo Chiesa Madre pizzuta lonelyplanet.com ), Avola isa is theendof Marzamemi ispopu- , atthe

, & 4-7pm) that tumble down from Modica Alta (High (High that tumbledownfromModicaAlta with sun-bleached, pastel-coloured houses it’sabeautifultown any discerningtraveller: for Modica isbloomingintoawonderfulbase pop 52,900/elev296m MODICA Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels baroque churches intheprovince. Gagliardi’s di SanGiorgio of atriptoModica isthe The highlight Sights Office Tourist Post Office Police Information also better interms of scenery. Umberto IandViaGaribaldi.Thebustripis dropped offneartheintersection of Corso Veneto. It’sbetter toget thebus,asyou’llbe west of Corso UmbertoI,pastVia Vittorio day (not advisable). intend towalkaroundtheentire townina huge hillwilltest yourlegs,especiallyifyou themainaxesGiarrantana, of thetown.The transformed intoCorso UmbertoIandVia floodin1902,theriver wasdevastating Followingaand becomesModicaBassa. thetown, a ragingriver through flowedright valleywhere tumblesintoadeep Alta once Modica isdividedintotwoparts: Orientation that Modicaisbetter than Ragusa. doubt mention–inafitof local patriotism– of theirtown’sillustrioushistory, andwillno feelDespite proud this, Modica’sinhabitants Modica lostitspre-eminent placetoRagusa. personal fiefdomof theChiaramonte family, love withModica’s wily charms. many anunsuspectingvisitorhasfallenin andlive lifesee asit’slived bythe locals,and nearby. It’satownthatreally allowsyouto to topitalloff,there are somegreat beaches produced here and Italy, isknownthroughout architecture isbreathtaking, thechocolate There are placestoeat,thebaroque fantastic (Low Modica). Modica) toModicaBassa spoken. Sun) Cansupplytheoddmaporlist,butnoEnglish is h Domenico. The train station islocated justoverThe trainstation 500m intheregionOnce apowerhouse andthe 8.30am-1.30pm &3-7pmMon-Sat, ( % , easilyone of themost extraordinary 113; Piazza Matteoti) (Corso Umberto I)JustnearChiesadiSan (CorsoUmberto (

(Modica Alta;admission free; % 0932 76 26 26; Via Grimaldi 32; 0932 762626;ViaGrimaldi THE SOUTHEAST ••Modica THESOUTHEAST h 9am-noon Chiesa 10 flood. 1902 a marker point of pointsoutthehighest the provides accommodation (see below ). from Modica and Cava d’Ispica.from ModicaandCava Upstairs is Matteoti) owners, Valeria They’ll notonly andRosa. town (and possiblyinSicily), thankstoits be themostwelcoming, intimate placein street off Corso Umberto,this €24-34, d€42-60; 28 43;www.siciliando.it; Via Cannata24,ModicaBassa;s o Sleeping .siciliando.it; ViaCannata24,ModicaBassa) the Thecoursesdevelopment. are runthrough tiative aimingtointegrate tourismwithlocal €650)wereweek upbyaworthylocalini- set €750)andpainting(perpersonone week one (perpersonArts andcraftscourses inmosaics Courses diBetlem Santa Maria Antica Dolceria Bonajuto ( p234 ). youupnicelyforachocolatewill set feast at the laboratoryformakingchocolate, which out inworkshop context. Especiallygoodis a wonderfulethnographicalcollectionset phoning uptoarrange entranceasithouses which isonlyopenonrequest. Itisworth &PopularTraditions &Crafts Arts andprivatethe separate Mon-Sat) Civico Museo Mercedari) converted hassincebeen intothe delleGrazie Maria (off Piazza SanGiovanni) pass the experience.pleasant Heading southyouwill many finemansionsandchurches, isavery of the apostles. linedwithlife-sized statues rippling staircase admission free) isthe Bassa floataway.Itscounterpointmight inModica below, theswirlingconfection looksasifit full of polychromatic marbles.Viewed from façade,whiletheinterior is has adaringlytall Erected intheearly 18thcentury,thechurch at thetopof amajestic 250-step staircase. a visionof pure rococosplendourperched fame)masterpiece, itis (of NotoandRagusa Another noteworthy church is Walking downCorso UmbertoI,withits Albergo iTettiAlbergo diSiciliando , withawell-ordered displayof finds , the Albergo iTettiAlbergo diSiciliando Chiesa Santa Maria delCarmine Chiesa SantaMaria , anotherimpressive church atopa

Cattedrale diSanPietro Cattedrale (Via Mercè; admissionfree; Mercè; (Via Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista Chiesa diSanGiovanni a , whose convent, whose (Palazzo dei ) Hiddenawayin asmall , endingat

(Via Marchesa Tedeschi) Marchesa (Via ( Hyblean Museum of Hyblean Museum % (

% 0932 942843;www albergo (Corso Umberto I; (Corso Umberto , which also Chiesa Santa

0932 757747) h ( % Chiesa di 9am-1pm , where 0932 94

(Piazza must 233

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SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST are allspacious,simplydecorated andhave roomsthat some views,thisplacehasseven diSanGiorgio,Chiesa withpredictably awe- of chocolate hasmeant thatthechocolate 234 .bonajuto.it; Corso Umberto I159) .bonajuto.it; CorsoUmberto of which are modestly priced. Modica hassomevery goodrestaurants, many Eating &Drinking place to stay. bar/café isrelaxing andcool.Agood,stylish bles asabreakfast area, andthedownstairs nice, greenery-shrouded balconythatdou- beds.There’s andbigcomfortable tables, a looking antiques,chaise longues,writing Quasimodo), decoratingeach withgood- writers (such asPablo NerudaandSalvatore dedicates its10roomstodifferent and poets 105; demohac.it; ViaTommasoCampailla15;s€55-65,d€90- rooftop garden–perfect for an aperitif. and large French windows.There isanelegant ally decorated roomswithallthemodcons tive hotel inthehistoriccentre hasindividu- Umberto I,nearTeatro Garibaldi), thisattrac- inaconvertedHoused palazzo(justoff Corso .it; ViaTommasoCampanella,ModicaBassa;s/d€60/95; clean. flawlessly the floors give theroomscharacter, andit’sall and friendlylandlady.Thetraditionaltileson of withacommunalkitchen afamilyhouse, rooms inanoldpalazzo. Theatmosphere is Giorgio church–gazing B&B,withhuge 9, ModicaAlta;rperperson€30-35; friendly and speaks English. Theowneris the gorgeous baroquecurves. risk spendingfartoomuch timegazingat with abalcony-view of thechurch andyou’ll gleaming newbathrooms.Ask foraroom €60-65; CorsoSanGiorgio111,ModicaAlta;s€30-35,d cavalieri.it; per day(or€50 per week). other. Youcanrent bikes mountain for€10 teeter ontopof thatseemingly eachhouses dreamy viewsof packed Modica’stightly The roomsare simpleandsizable,manywith attend oneof thecourses theyorganise here. a goodbreakfast, yourownkey, andyoucan Modica (inexcellentEnglish),butyou’llget tell there youeverything istoknowabout Dei Ruta eCavalieri Carrube o Relais Hotel Antica Dolceria Bonajuto Antica Dolceria a H OTES • Aon oia ••AroundModica THE SOUTHEAST a ) Aswankynewjoint,Hotel Mohac ) A new B&B right nextdoortothe AnewB&Bright

Hotel Mohac Hotel ( %

( % 0932 755600;www.deiruta.it; ViaMoncada 0932 754451;www.hotelrelaismodica

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( % 0932 941837;www.carrubee

( 0932 754130;www.hotel % Mass production a 0932 941225;www AnotherSan ) a

) books and cushioned outdoor seating, wherebooks andcushioned outdoorseating, tion and high on eye-pleasing presentation. oneye-pleasingpresentation. tion andhigh offers foodthatisexquisite, butsmallof por- to splashout,thisvery upmarket restaurant Mon) 14, ModicaAlta;mains€30-35; glass of wineis sweet better.even stews there too. are a Desserts good,though you’llfindgreenthough beansandtomato quite rabbitandpork, meaty, withsausages, excellent winelistandfinefood.Themenuis in thereveredselected SlowFoodguideforits Modica’s familiesgoforlunch anddinneris 28; meals€25) ask the friendly sommelier. foryourself, wine too,andifyoucan’tchoose here, Trysome aswellfish andseafood. lent, andyoucanget meatydishes like rabbit but atdeflated prices.Thefresh is pasta excel- inthebigrestaurant, the deliciousfoodserved Taverna Nicastrooffers thechance totryall 72; meals€15-20) withtheowner.an interview filled withmeatandchocolate). See p160 for ’mpanatigghi Antica DolceriaBonajuto. Alsotrythefamous forthefamous orange –headstraight peel –flavouredstuff withcinnamon,vanillaand andtotaste thecrunchy,the same black but notinModica. Here themethodremains industry hasmoved onsincetheearlydays, baroque architecture – inparticularPalazzo is justsuch atown,full of more wonderful country towns. andpleasant ing sights full of rambling lanesleadingyoutointerest- Modica issurrounded bypretty countryside AROUND MODICA (all Saturday) andRagusa under €5.20). Mondayto (10dailybuses from Syracuse There are plentyof andtrainstoModica buses Getting There&Away times to findaDJpartyseveral a month. chat awaytofriends,andwhere you’re likely gatherseveryone and after 11pm todrinkbeer h ravioli. broad-bean-and-ricotta diVittoria, andheart-warming as Cerasuolo combined withacrisp,drywhite winesuch isgorgeous,The seafood wonderfulwhen Hemingway Fattoria delleTorri o Taverna Nicastro 7pm-late) Worth goingtoonlyifyou’re wanting I Baccanti ThisisModica’scoolestbar,with The traditional

Thislittle-sister restaurant to (South Americanempanadas ( % Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels

( 340 093 52 28; Via Grimaldi 36; 340 0935228;ViaGrimaldi %

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% ( % 0932 945884;ViaSAntonino 0932 751286;VicoNapolitano 0932 94 11 33; Via Grimaldi 0932 941133;ViaGrimaldi h closed Sun evening & closed Sunevening taverna where Scicli

as aNeolithicburialsite, thecaves were later free courtesy bus thatwilltake youfromthe Lungomare Raganzino. InPozzallo, there’s a long sandy beaches, aswellrockycoves.long sandy Both daily) and and there anothertourist isseldom in sight. Itiswelloffthebeaten track by rockycliffs. andPalazzo FavaBeneventano –andframed lonelyplanet.com yu descend. you old town)andcount thebaroquespires as Ibla(Ragusa’s less stairs thatleadtoRagusa streets andcount- downthecurving Ragusa), Superiore (Upper of heights the steep Ragusa here isanabsolute dream. Youcanwalkfrom bars have a few sprouted, andstaying days restaurants,fantastic ice-cream parlours and peal, notformuch longer. Dozensof B&Bs, the renovations andthetown’s resulting ap- overlooked judging by bytourists,though provinciallightful townalmostcompletely is ade- Classic, quietanddignified,Ragusa pop 69,700/elev502m RAGUSA station it’s €2.75). ferry docktothetowncentre (tothetrain ViaStudi80) www.virtuferries.com; and 9.30pm.The Saturday). Departures are usuallyat9am 1½ hours, twodailyexceptTuesdayand and Malta €93/125, (single/return season high and followthesignsto the towns. If you’re take the SS115 drivingfromSyracuse, bus andtrainfrombothModicaRagusa. Scicli, PozzalloandIspicaare allaccessibleby Getting There&Around Malta. to sort town,where youcancatch theferry whole lengthof the valley. you canfollowanovergrown path alongthe Ages. Thegorge istranquilandverdant and transformed intocave dwellingsintheMiddle admission €2; gorge knownas Ispica can beundisturbedby the crowds. areas ifyouwalkalongthebeaches, where you there though on thesand, are vastunpopulated and loungers (bedandumbrella fortwo€10) are popularwiththetown’syouth,bars Head downto Virtu Ferries has services between Pozzallo between Virtu Ferries hasservices South of Ispicais A similartown,southeastof Modica,is , located attheheadof the13km-long Sampieri Sampieri h 9am-1.30pm &3-6.30pm) THE SOUTHEAST ••Ragusa THESOUTHEAST Modica Marina Modica Marina Cava d’Ispica Cava (€1.50, three buses daily) for (€1.50, three daily)for buses Virtu office Virtu Pozzallo Pozzallo is infrontof Via

, a pleasant re-, apleasant ( ( (€1.20, six buses (€1.20, sixbuses % % . Long used . Longused 0932 954062; 0932 951133; tw hall. town posite Mediterraneo Palace.posite Mediterraneo interesting booklet, La Rocca. Alsohasanexcellentmapofthetownand officeinPalazzo& 3.30-6pmTue-Sun) Helpfultourist 33; .it inItalian;ViaCapitanoBocchieri rooms inthe old town. & 3.30-6pmTue-Sun) Staff here canhelpwithbooking the train station. Tourist Office Tourist Office Tourist TOURIST INFORMATION Post Office PostOffice Main POST Banco diSicilia ATM MONEY Hospital MEDICAL SERVICES Police Ambulance EMERGENCY Information to the lower town. the stairs toIbla,orfollowthewindingroad onCorso andfollowitto Turn right Italia Corso theuppertown’smainstreet. Italia, aheadalongViaRomatoreachstraight acrossthebridge (PonteLena, Nuovo) and tion, turnleftandheadalongVialeTenente adjacent PiazzaGramsci.Fromthetrainsta- and theintercity isonthe busstation isonPiazzadelPopoloThe trainstation and windingsteps connectthe two towns. today. Aperilousbusrideorsomevery steep creating thetwotownsinonethatprevails The twotownswere onlymerged in1927,thus spot. Iblaonexactlythesame rebuilt Ragusa was loathetoleave thetottering palazziand Buttheoldaristocracy the originalsettlement. Superiore, plateau above wasbuiltonahigh the 1693earthquake andanewtown,Ragusa after Ibla(theoldtown)collapsed Ragusa Mon-Fri, 8.30am-1.30pm Mon-Fri, Sat) h throughout the province. Orientation Like othertownintheregion, every 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-1.30pm 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, Sat) (Piazza delDuomo) ( % ( % 0932 62 49 22; Via Raspardi) Next tothe Next 0932 624922;ViaRaspardi) (Piazza Pola, Ragusa Ibla; (Piazza Pola, Ragusa

( % 0932 621410;Piazza delPopolo)Opposite (Largo Camarina 5; (LargoCamarina ( % (Via Roma)Has (Via an ATM; locatedop- 113) (Via Ecce Homo, Ragusa Superiore; Superiore; EcceHomo,Ragusa (Via In Barocco, 0932 221511;www.ragusaturismo aboutbaroquebuildings h h h 9am-1.30pm 8.30am-5pm 9am-1.30pm

235 SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST archways taking youpast theremainsarchways taking of the winding passmadeupof stairs andnarrow della Repubblica andthe Keep goingdownandyoucometoPiazza from where there’s agoodviewing point. 15th-century viathe best accessed dell’Itria majolica-tiled domeof the here andthere frompainted palazziandthe green countryside,lifted bysplashesof colour austere grey of thebuildingsnestled amidthe of Corso Mazzini. Itisalovely picture, the breathtaking viewsfromthehairpinbends Iblawillbe the Your first of sight Ragusa RAGUSA IBLA Sights 236 Caltanisetta (137km) Enna (130km); To Syracuse(94km); Station

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i e To Modica 14 r a 17 12 (10km) 19 11 Gothic portal ofGothic portal whatwasoncethelarge d’Alessandria) Virgin, Sant’Agatha Pietro Novelli’s work piece andthree great examplesof painter of StGeorge second onhorseback. Aclose two paintingsbyDarioGuerciandastatue therenot quite as sumptuous,although are tuated by jutting cornices.Theinterior is narrowing Corinthiancolumnsandpunc- three tiers, each supported level bygradually Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels upper town; however, thereupper town; however, are tons of new, largeMost of hotels are Ragusa’s inthe Sleeping about thefindswillbe a problem. you don’tread gleaninginformation Italian, Unfortunately, if loop aroundthemuseum. neartheendof CroceCamerina, the Santa Don’t missthemosaic-floor remains from Scornavacche, includingareconstructed kiln. are theceramicsfromcaravan centre of onthecoast.Alsoofat Camarina interest prehistoric times andfromtheGreek site housingfindsfrom archaeological museum Natalelli; admission€3; the by Mario Spada’s pretty campanile. fronts theornate façademadeasymmetrical 1718 and1778.Anelegant,terraced square Battista Duomo diSanGiovanni symbol of itsurbanrenewal, istheenormous Superiore,The centrepiece anda of Ragusa RAGUSA SUPERIORE bas-relief of StGeorge killing the dragon. ruined. Inthelunette there isaninteresting Vecchio Chiesa diSanGiorgio h ing; and a badlydamaged butinteresting painted ceil- ( Ferrari di SanVincenzo remains of churches: three medieval for apicniclunch. Initsgroundsare the garden laidoutinthe19thcentury,perfect Giardino Ibleo 1793)bySebastiano Benedict; Lo Monaco. the of topped byacupoladecorated withafresco Piazza delDuomo. Theellipticalinterior is is thesmaller h South of thecathedral,off ViaRoma,is At theeastern endof theoldtownis 9am-1pm &3.30-7pm) 9am-1pm &3.30-7pm) Museo Archeologico Ibleo Archeologico Museo Gloria di San Benedetto diSan Gloria Chiesa Sant’Agata

( h . There’s also theCatalan- Chiesa diSanGiuseppe 8am-8pm) h , the1563church with 9am-1.30pm) ; , withanfinealtar- and (Assumption of the Chiesa diSanGiacomo , a pleasant public , apleasant

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( % THE SOUTHEAST ••Ragusa THESOUTHEAST , builtbetween , an important , animportant 0932 622963;Via (Gloryof St , eastof Chiesa

The owner even bringsyoufreshThe ownereven pastries rooms,eachsweet withfridge andstove. FiorerePiazza delDuomo,Le has three efficient efficient and friendly. is town. Roomsare modern andtheservice don’t wanttogo huntingaroundtheold here –stay ifyou to findandcomfortable pa s/d€70/9; Superiore; .sicily-hotels.net; CorsoItalia70,Ragusa thick wallsare tokeep enough things cool. the familyguaranteesthatbuilding’s Note thatthere isnoairconditioning,but of theroof thecathedral,asdoes terrace. quiet sophistication.Theroomshave views andapiano,theplacebreathestables mosphere. Thereception isallbooks,writing walls, pristinebeds,andanairy,marineat- immaculately turnedoutroomswithwhite €90-100) Ibla;s€45-50, d .bbcaelumhyblae.it; SalitaSpecula11,Ragusa that’s your preference. room hasairconditioning,sospecifyif for free intheinternal courtyard.Onlyone and bread forbreakfast, andyoucanpark €65-75; Paternò Ibla;s€40-45,d Arezzo.it; ViaMaria 104,Ragusa here, sobook in advance. speaks goodEnglish. It’struevalueformoney bed.Theownerisfriendlyand a wrought-iron ceilings, antiquefurniture, woodenfloors and double roomonthegroundfloor,withhigh pretending There’s theylive alsoa inRagusa. fect foracouplewhowanttospendsometime twotofourpeople,andit’sper-pad. Itsleeps floor that’sdecorated like a1960snovelist’s this placesportsalarge apartmentonthe1st €34-42; Ibla;rperperson 3,Ragusa .risveglioibleo.com; LargoCamerina Book in advance. inthesmallkitchen. bath). Breakfast isserved walls andlarge bathrooms(thetriplehasa withblush-colouredsimple butcomfortable, the welcomeiswarmandfourroomsare Vecchio. RunbyanItalian-Brazilian family, of diSanGiorgiodoor totheportal Chiesa bytheGiardinoIbleo,andnext B&B isright a Ibla;s€30-50,d€60-70; .it inItalian;ViaNormanni4,Ragusa thebestplace this iscertainly to stay. Iblaand small hotels andB&BsinRagusa Hotel Montreal Hotel o Le Fiorere o Ai GiardiniIblei ) As little thenamesuggests, thisdelightful a pa A stylish, family-run B&B, with seven Astylish,family-runB&B,withseven ) In theuppertown, thisplaceiseasy ) AnexcellentB&Binanoldpalazzo, Caelum Hyblae Caelum Risveglio Ibleo Risveglio

) ( % Just aroundthecornerfrom

( %

( 0932 621530;www.bblefioriere % 0932 621133;www.hotelmontreal 338 2861858;www.aigiardini

( ( % % 0932 247811;www 0932 220402;www 237

SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST SOUTHEAST THE & SYRACUSE SYRACUSE & THE SOUTHEAST Ibla; bruschetta €5) cream experience. Divine indeed. ice- flavour wine)forareal (sweet Ragusa and seductive. Try themoscatod’Asti wine andexotic,thecardamom aromatic sweet is like thecinnamonis eatingthefruititself, The carobispowderyandsubtle, the peach withouttryinganother one.to leave Ragusa here unable justfindyourself thatyoumight flavours adventurous andmarvellous-tasting ice cream we’ve tasted inSicily.There are such flavour. Anddare it,it’ssomeof wesay thebest it playswiththeideathattheyare ‘divine’of theicecream iswine-flavoured, and (some of) from €1.50) Ibla;icecreamdivini.it inItalian;Piazza delDuomo20,Ragusa town. old of restaurants, allof themlocated in the hasagoodselection Like Modica,Ragusa popular. very The eponymousrestaurant (see opposite ) is own beach 20kmfromhere. atMarina Ragusa, especially considering thatthehotel hasits all-round. Agoodsplash-outopportunity, rooms, vaulted ceilings,andastylish décor withcomfortable on itsupmarket service, a donserafino.it; ViaXIFebbraio Ibla;dfrom€148; 15,Ragusa unfussy and rooms. comfortable workshop. It’satastefully done-uphotel, with (see opposite ), thiswasonceacarpenter’s sively popularrestaurant of name thesame family,whichthe Cabibbo alsorunsthemas- Ibla;s/d€80/125; LaNuova,Ragusa Maria 238 Eating Locanda DonSerafino Il Barocco Al Borgo Al Borgo o Eremo della Giubiliana ROYAL RAGUSA follow thesigns. Etna andPalermo). excursions onfoot,by4WDoreven intheestate’s private plane(toLampedusa,Tunisia, Mt for itssensitive restoration. Nowadaysitisaluxuriousretreat offering acatalogueofwonderful which itwasboughtbytheNifosìfamily,whoselastheir,Vincenza IolandaNifosì,is responsible hermitage. Thewas afortified KnightsofStJohnusedthehermitagein16thcenturyafter trees anddrystonewalls. oftheoldfiefRennaandstructure The estate usedtobepart Its white towerdominates thehighlandabove Marinainaruggedlywildestate Ragusa ofcarob Ragusa 7.5km;d/ste€240/820; Ragusa ) Aplushthree-star hotel thatpridesitself H OTES • Rgs ••Ragusa THE SOUTHEAST To reach it, take the road from Ragusa to Ragusa MarinaandafterTo reach toRagusa 9kmturnoffrightand theroadfrom Ragusa it,take Thenameof thisplaceindicates that Gelati DiVini Gelati ( %

( % 0932 65 12 03; Piazza del Duomo 3, Ragusa 0932 651203;Piazza delDuomo3,Ragusa Right infront of Right thelovely 0932 652397;www.ilbarocco.it; ViaS (

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0932 220065;www.locanda ( 0932 228989;www.gelati % pa 0932 66 91 19; www.eremodellagiubiliana.it; Contrada Giubiliana, SP per Marina di 0932 669119;www.eremodellagiubiliana.it; ContradaGiubiliana,SPperMarina a ) The Eremo is a wonderful homagetohistoryandauthenticity. The Eremo isawonderful Ownedby ) Orfanotrofio 91, Ragusa Ibla; meals €25-30) 91,Ragusa Orfanotrofio Superiore; meals€25-30) Superiore; your dining table, AiLumiisagreatyour diningtable, oppor- where the Ibla;meals€25) 16, Ragusa (spaghetti with mussels). covered terrace. Trythe the generous portionsandtherelaxed vine- ous crowdof loyallocalswhocomehere for meatandfish dishes toaboister-that serves Ibla;meals€20-25) Ragusa place. people-watching ness aweddingfromhere, andit’stheperfect ham, olives oranchovies. You’llbesure towit- toppedwithtomatoes, the sizablebruschettas, the afternoon sunwhileyousnackononeof cathedral, AlBorgo istheidealplacetocatch it serves some fabulous sausages withNero somefabulous sausages it serves but alsolikes tooffer lamb,veal andpork, and fish, Sicilian cuisinethat sportsseafood upper partof forthesimple town.Orfeo goes Food–championed restaurant, thistimein the potent red wine. Great forarich dinner,enjoyedwithsome belly andtomato,orlambartichokes. mains are inasimilarvein, with stews of pork ravioli orricotta inporkjuices.The sauce unusual, withthingslike rigatoniinalamb thatoverlooksseating thestreet. The menuis terraceelectee isafriendlyplacewithpleasant foremost restaurants, thisSlowFood Ragusa’s some winetooandwatch stroll. Ragusa and meatmenusoffer localdelicacies.Enjoy The fishsoupisafavourite here, and thefish without having topayalotfortheexperience. tunity toeatwellinelegantsurroundings, Orfeo o Ai LumiTrattoria La Rusticana

( % Cucina eVino Cucina passeggiata 0932 62 10 35; Via Sant’Anna 117, Ragusa 0932 621035;ViaSant’Anna117,Ragusa

( % Book yourstayatlonelyplanet.com/hotels

( 0932 22 79 81; Corso XXV Aprile 68, Aprile 0932 227981;CorsoXXV % Right onthemainstreet, Right Another Ragusa Slow AnotherRagusa Agreat budget option 0932 62 12 24; Corso XXV Aprile Aprile 0932 621224;CorsoXXV (stroll)unfoldsbefore

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vaulted dining roomoronthekerbside isa are andeatinginthe essential reservations Ibla; meals€25-30) the restaurant willcertainly aid digestion. D’Avola Theclimbupordownto winesauce. lonelyplanet.com the above - ‘Do the right thingwithourcontent.’ the above -‘Dotheright theterms and conditionsonoursiteforalonger wayofsaying youknow,orresell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inotherwords, pleasedon’tuploadthischapterto apeer-to-peer Inreturn, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseitforpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasier foryoutouse,accessthischapterisnotdigitally Tomake two hours, 11dailyMondaytoSaturday)and 16 dailyMondaytoSaturday),Noto(€3.15, local networktoModica(€1.95,20minutes, and Sunday). hours, 10dailyMondaytoFriday,five Saturday (€6.60,1¾ toCatania 42), runsdailybuses delViale,Viale Tenentetickets atCaffè Lena hours, six daily). (€3.80,1¼ 1¾ hours, daily)andGela eight (€5.70, 2¼hours, daily),Noto(€4.25, eight isaccessiblebytrainfromSyracuse Ragusa Getting There&Around small diningroomskeep things intimate. fennel pistachios, andalmonds.Fivetomatoes, totraditionalfavouritessticking close such as aginative andunconventional fashionwhile The Duomocombinesingredients inanim- and atmosphere. extremely formal, service of Sicily’sposhest,withafriendly, though h Ibla;meals€70,tastingmenu €100; 31,Ragusa Bocchieri ortenderpistachios pork and mushrooms. intimate roomanddineonrabbit with stuffed Head tothebackfurthestandmost right barrel-vaulted caverns of block. anoldstable An excellentrestaurant intheatmospheric Ibla;meals€30-35; 39,Ragusa Orfanotrofio meat platter (€22for two people). try thedeliciousandexcellent-value grilled- boisterous, enjoyableaffair. Yousimplymust Il Barocco Interbus-Etna Trasporti (information and Interbus-Etna Trasporti(informationand Duomo Ristorante Locanda DonSerafino closed Mon)

( % Thisfive-star restaurant isone Il Barocco issopopularthat IlBarocco AST 0932 65 23 97; Via Orfanotrofio 29, Ragusa 29,Ragusa 0932 652397;ViaOrfanotrofio THE SOUTHEAST ••AroundRagusa THESOUTHEAST

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Chiaramonte Chiaramonte Gulfi from Syracuse, frequencyfrom Syracuse, canbe a problem. exist trainandbusservices towns; although Gattopardo of itwiththeDonnafugata don’t confuse was designedintheVenetian-Gothic style– asit olderthanthatthough, It lookseven remnants of its17th-centurypredecessor. Tue-Sun) is & 3-7pm Sun). (www.comunechiaramontegulfi.it; cured anditseight hams andpasta, the for its olivehigh-quality oil(accredited by the Countof Modica,andisfamousboth It wasfoundedbyManfredi Chiaramonte, views of thecountrysideanddeliciousham. making centre for the region. The townhasbaroquebuildingsandisawine- in 1603byVittoriaColonna,hencethename. kilometres westof Comisois diSanFrancesco(13thcentury).Six Chiesa of theearthquakea rare of survivor 1693,the buildings andchurches tolookat,including is thetownof Ten ontheSS115, kilometres westof Ragusa, AROUND RAGUSA Ibleo inthelowertownof Ibla. Ragusa upper towntoPiazzaPolaandtheGiardino SAIS stop. buses is posted onPiazzaGramsciwhere AST and each destination onSunday.AnAST timetable to Saturday).There isusuallyonlyonebusto (€5.50,2½hours,Syracuse 10dailyMonday Castello diDonnafugata Castello Approximately 20kmsouthwestof Ragusa North of Comiso(take theSS514)is runfromPiazzadelPopolointhe City buses A car is definitely the best way to see these these A carisdefinitely thebestwaytosee Denominazione d’Origine ProtettaDenominazione d’Origine , a19th-centurybuildingwithsome (The though! Leopard) Comiso , withchurches, decent , withplentyof baroque (admission free;

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