Sicily: The Road To Ragusa - Southern Sicilian Landscapes
Apr 10, 2024 14:30:14 #
After the wonderful lunch at Gli Aromi, we boarded the bus for our next stop - Ragusa Ibla. On our way we passed the baroque town of Scicli. I love capturing images of the countryside and cities we drive through even if we don't make a stop. Here are some more taken through the tour bus windows with a Nikon D7500 and a Nikkor 18-300 f3.6-5.6 lens set at f11, 1/640 sec and auto ISO. Post processing done with Luminar Neo.
A little about Scicli from the website: https://www.sicily-visitor.com/places/scicli.php
Visit Scicli
Scicli is a charming and rather undiscovered town with a wealth of Baroque architecture to discover. It is in the south of Sicily between Modica and the coast. It is one of the Val di Noto towns classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site for their late baroque architecture.
Explore Scicli
Scicli Visitor comment: Whilst much smaller than the nearby Val di Noto towns and with less specific sites to see Scicli is a pretty town with a lovely ambience and with less tourists. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit here.
Scicli sits in the intersection of two valleys, the valley of San Bartolomeo and the valley of Santa Maria di Nova in a rocky hilly setting. It is quite beautiful and adds to the charm of the town.
Less visited than the other towns in the Val di Noto group it does non the less have a beautiful old centre with many Baroque buildings that were built following the huge earthquake of 1693. This was the late Baroque period in Sicily and hence the architectural style for rebuilding. Lucky for us it was a particularly beautiful style!
The key examples of the baroque architecture can be found in the churches but its influence can be seen on many of the mansions and houses in the town.
The San Matteo hill rises up from the town and Scicli's castle sits at the top of the hill commanding views of the town and countryside below. Scicli castle has in the past been used by both Arabs and Normans. The castle dates back to the 12th century though most of the current castle was built in the 13th century
A little further down the hill is the San Matteo church. This was once the main church of the town and the residents lived near the church on the hillside giving them a defendable position. As defences became less important the town moved down the hill and is mostly in the valley below.
The main square in Scicli is the Piazza Italia and this is surrounded by fine palaces. The most elegant part of town however is the pedestrianised Via Penne which is lined with baroque houses and churches. Its outside cafes and bars make it an excellent spot to stop and admire the views.
Look out for the Palazzo Beneventano which is nearby and is the most fanciful of Scilis's baroque buildings with many faces and beasts carved into its decorative facade.
Other highlights include the churches of San Bartolomeo and Santa Maria la Nova which sit in their respective valleys. San Bartolomeo church is richly decorated and has a baroque facade. Santa Maria la Nova is built in a neo-classical style and contains some important art works.
Near to the Palazzo Beneventano is a path leading up the hillside towards the San Matteo church. If you have the time be sure to walk up to the church, you will be rewarded with great views of gorges, abandoned cave dwellings and the town of Scicli below.
There is a whole network of cave dwellings in the hillside near the castle including a rock church but sadly for the moment these are closed and undeveloped. Hopefully in the future these will be opened up to visits adding to the interest of Scicli to visitors.
Various locations in Scicli are used for the popular Inspector Montalbano police series. The police station in the fictional town of Vigata is actually the town hall of Scicli and the police HQ in the fictional town of Montelusa is the Palazzo Iacono in Scicli. Many more scenes from Inspector Montalbano are filmed in the Ragusa Ibla district of nearby Ragusa and Modica also features in some episodes. Inspector Montalbano fans will love to visit these towns!
Where to visit nearby?
The nearby towns of Modica and Ragusa are also part of the Val di Noto UNESCO listed World Heritage Site for their late Baroque architecture and well worth a visit.
For more images of Southern Sicily, please see my previous posts:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803560-1.html#14542465
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803628-1.html#14544157
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803797-1.html#14548404
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803957-1.html#14552084
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-804244-1.html
I hope you enjoy these!
Mark
A little about Scicli from the website: https://www.sicily-visitor.com/places/scicli.php
Visit Scicli
Scicli is a charming and rather undiscovered town with a wealth of Baroque architecture to discover. It is in the south of Sicily between Modica and the coast. It is one of the Val di Noto towns classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site for their late baroque architecture.
Explore Scicli
Scicli Visitor comment: Whilst much smaller than the nearby Val di Noto towns and with less specific sites to see Scicli is a pretty town with a lovely ambience and with less tourists. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit here.
Scicli sits in the intersection of two valleys, the valley of San Bartolomeo and the valley of Santa Maria di Nova in a rocky hilly setting. It is quite beautiful and adds to the charm of the town.
Less visited than the other towns in the Val di Noto group it does non the less have a beautiful old centre with many Baroque buildings that were built following the huge earthquake of 1693. This was the late Baroque period in Sicily and hence the architectural style for rebuilding. Lucky for us it was a particularly beautiful style!
The key examples of the baroque architecture can be found in the churches but its influence can be seen on many of the mansions and houses in the town.
The San Matteo hill rises up from the town and Scicli's castle sits at the top of the hill commanding views of the town and countryside below. Scicli castle has in the past been used by both Arabs and Normans. The castle dates back to the 12th century though most of the current castle was built in the 13th century
A little further down the hill is the San Matteo church. This was once the main church of the town and the residents lived near the church on the hillside giving them a defendable position. As defences became less important the town moved down the hill and is mostly in the valley below.
The main square in Scicli is the Piazza Italia and this is surrounded by fine palaces. The most elegant part of town however is the pedestrianised Via Penne which is lined with baroque houses and churches. Its outside cafes and bars make it an excellent spot to stop and admire the views.
Look out for the Palazzo Beneventano which is nearby and is the most fanciful of Scilis's baroque buildings with many faces and beasts carved into its decorative facade.
Other highlights include the churches of San Bartolomeo and Santa Maria la Nova which sit in their respective valleys. San Bartolomeo church is richly decorated and has a baroque facade. Santa Maria la Nova is built in a neo-classical style and contains some important art works.
Near to the Palazzo Beneventano is a path leading up the hillside towards the San Matteo church. If you have the time be sure to walk up to the church, you will be rewarded with great views of gorges, abandoned cave dwellings and the town of Scicli below.
There is a whole network of cave dwellings in the hillside near the castle including a rock church but sadly for the moment these are closed and undeveloped. Hopefully in the future these will be opened up to visits adding to the interest of Scicli to visitors.
Various locations in Scicli are used for the popular Inspector Montalbano police series. The police station in the fictional town of Vigata is actually the town hall of Scicli and the police HQ in the fictional town of Montelusa is the Palazzo Iacono in Scicli. Many more scenes from Inspector Montalbano are filmed in the Ragusa Ibla district of nearby Ragusa and Modica also features in some episodes. Inspector Montalbano fans will love to visit these towns!
Where to visit nearby?
The nearby towns of Modica and Ragusa are also part of the Val di Noto UNESCO listed World Heritage Site for their late Baroque architecture and well worth a visit.
For more images of Southern Sicily, please see my previous posts:
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803560-1.html#14542465
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803628-1.html#14544157
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803797-1.html#14548404
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-803957-1.html#14552084
https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-804244-1.html
I hope you enjoy these!
Mark
Construction with local limestone blocks as has been done for centuries.
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The goat herder checking his cellphone
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Looking back at the Mediterranean
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Passing Scicli
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Apr 10, 2024 14:31:01 #
Apr 10, 2024 14:37:33 #
Apr 10, 2024 14:39:22 #
Apr 10, 2024 14:39:56 #
Apr 10, 2024 14:40:49 #
UTMike wrote:
You do good work from that bus, Mark!
Thanks very much Mike.
Apr 10, 2024 14:41:07 #
I still don't know how you do it but I sure enjoy your bus shots, Mark. Great set.
Apr 10, 2024 14:43:02 #
kpmac wrote:
I still don't know how you do it but I sure enjoy your bus shots, Mark. Great set.
Thanks very much Ken. High shutter speed moderate DOF and clean windows. Cloning out glare in post helps!
Apr 10, 2024 15:21:16 #
srfmhg wrote:
After the wonderful lunch at Gli Aromi, we boarded... (show quote)
A great set from the master of tour bus photos. I really enjoyed this set Mark.
Apr 10, 2024 18:09:49 #
DJphoto wrote:
A great set from the master of tour bus photos. I really enjoyed this set Mark.
Thanks very much Dennis. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed them>
Apr 11, 2024 06:14:08 #
srfmhg wrote:
After the wonderful lunch at Gli Aromi, we boarded... (show quote)
Fantastic set!!!! Mark
Apr 11, 2024 08:02:26 #
Apr 11, 2024 08:25:11 #
Apr 11, 2024 09:53:40 #
Doonhamer
Loc: Cumbria, UK
Loving the images and brings back memories of a couple of vacations spent just outside Sampieri on the coast below Scicli. Some fantastic architecture, combined with great food and red wine so good it never leaves Sicily, made for some very happy memories. Looks like you are enjoying the trip and thanks for reminding me we need to go back soon.👍
Apr 11, 2024 10:44:21 #
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