Discover the Enchanting Charm of Scicli: A Baroque Gem in Sicily’s Ragusa Area
A special city, an art city, and a baroque city. We are talking about Scicli, a beautiful town on the island of Sicily that is only 20 kilometers from Ragusa. The historic center of Scicli has been named a prestigious Unesco World Heritage Site.
Scicli is one of the best places to visit in the Ragusa area and in all of Sicily. It is also one of the most popular tourist spots in Sicily.
This is because of its gentle landscape of Mediterranean scrub, almond and orange groves, and the sea. It is also because of its long and impressive history, which has made it the beautiful city of art and architecture it is today.
History
Archaeological finds from this area show that it has a long history that goes back to the copper and bronze ages. These finds, along with Greek and Carthaginian ones, show that this area has a long history.
In the 3rd century BC, the Romans took control of the city. When the Roman Empire fell, it was taken over by the Arabs and then the Normans. This happened during the legendary battle in the Piana dei Milici, where, according to local legends, the Madonna would have helped. This event is still celebrated every year with the Festa delle Milizie.
During the Middle Ages, Scicli and the rest of Sicily were ruled by the Altavillas, the Hohenstaufens, the Angevins, and the Aragoneses, in turn. Under the Aragoneses, Scicli became a part of the county of Modica.
In 1693, a terrible earthquake destroyed a lot of the city. This was a sad event that shook the city to its core. Scicli knew how to rise from the ashes, and after this disaster, it was rebuilt in the Baroque style, making it the beautiful place it is today. Because of its beautiful architecture, some of its views have been used in the TV show Inspector Montalbano.
The trip to Scicli’s baroque historical center
With such a long and complicated history, Scicli could only have a lot of artistic and architectural treasures, starting with its beautiful churches: the Church of Santa Teresa, which has many valuable paintings and frescoes inside; the impressive Church of San Giovanni Evangelista; the Church of San Matteo, which is on the hill where the old part of the city is; and the Church of San Bartolomeo, which was the only one to survive the earthquake.
These are just a few of the religious buildings, like churches and convents, that make this city truly unique, not to mention the civil architecture and the grand and elegant Baroque palaces.
The most famous are the Palazzo Beneventano, which is also on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites, the Palazzo Fava, and the Palazzo Spadaro, which is where some of the Scicli Municipality’s offices are located.
Together with many other beautiful buildings, these make the historic center of this city a real Baroque jewel. You can see all of its beauty just by walking down one of the main streets: The heart of the historic center is a long, beautiful street called Via Francesco Mormino Penna. Most of the buildings listed above are on this street, making it truly one of a kind.
As you move up the hills, you’ll find real treasures like the rock churches, the “Strada di Anselmo,” and the Castello dei Tre Cantoni, also called “Triquetro,” an impressive fortress built in the 14th century that looks out over the valleys and has a beautiful view.
The Scicli Sea
As the crow flies, Ragusa’s beaches are only 5 km away from Scicli. This means that Scicli is an obvious choice for a beach vacation in Sicily.
Lido di Spinasanta, which goes from the mouth of the Irminio river to the border of Donnalucata, is the closest beach. Some brush cliffs have made cross-cuts in the sandy beach to slow down the process of coastal erosion.
After the river Irminio, the beach goes south and becomes the real Lido di Scicli. It has over 1600 meters of soft sand and clear water that go all the way to the coves of Cava d’Aliga.
Unmissable events
Last but not least, Scicli is also beautiful because of its traditions and folklore, which are celebrated all year long with lots of fun events. One of the most well-known is the Festa delle Milizie, for which every year a theatrical reenactment of the battle is put on.
The Cavalcata di San Giuseppe, a procession on horseback to honor San Giuseppe and the Virgin Mary, the Tomato Festival, which celebrates the best food in the area, and the traditional Carnival are all important to the Sciclitani.
Getting to Scicli
To get to Scicli from Syracuse, you must take the SS 115 Siracusa-Scicli, then keep going toward Avola, Marina di Modica, and then Scicli. Instead, if you are coming from Catania, you should take the SS Catania-Ragusa, keep going until you reach Modica, and then turn right to get to Scicli.
