On the following morning (October 10, 2022) we left Ortygia Island and headed off to Canicatti. We passed through the rest of Syracuse. On the edge of the city, we passed the Greek Theatre and the Ear of Dionysus. The Ear of Dionysius is a limestone cave carved out of a hill in Syracuse. Its name, given by the painter Caravaggio, comes from its similarity in shape to the human ear. The name is also linked to the acoustic effects inside the cave: it is said that people’s voices echo up to 16 times. Sadly we did not stop and visit them because if was raining and we were in a hurry to get to Canicatti before sundown.
The outskirts of Syracuse, looking toward the amphitheater and the Ear of Dionysus.
We had planned to stop along our way at Modica, Ragusa, Piazza Armerina, and Enna. It was a grey day with episodes of rain and drizzle expected for most of it. Our first stop was at Modica, a city noted for its beauty and Chocolate. Modica was established about 1000 BC by the Sicels one of earliest tribes to inhabit the island of Sicily. It passed to the Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, and then into the control of Aragon, Spain, Naples, and Italy. In 1474, during the Spanish occupation and installation of the Inquisition, Christians slaughtered 360 Jews in the worst anti-semitic massacre in Sicily. In 1693 an earthquake destroyed much of the city resulting in the rebuilding of a lot of the city in the Baroque style for which it is famous today.
We stopped at a chocolate factory, attended a presentation about the chocolate production and bought some. We then strolled through the city and visited the Cathedral considered by many to epitomize the Spanish Baroque style.
From top left clockwise: View of Cathedral of St. George; Presentation at the chocolate factory; The presepio in the cathedral; A statue of someone on a horse.From upper left then clockwise: The cathedral alter; The dome in the cathedral; Naida in the cathedral enjoying some organ music; View of Modica from the cathedral steps.
Leaving Modica we drove on to Ragusa. We wanted to see the city primarily because we had seen it as the location of the Montalbano television series we enjoyed so much. Ragusa is built on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys, Cava San Leonardo and Cava Santa Domenica. Together with seven other cities in the Val di Noto, it is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the early 20th Century it was referred to as “The City of the Reds” because of its socialist leanings. It strongly opposed the Dictatorship of Mussolini and welcomed the Allied liberators during WWII.
RagusaFrom upper left then clockwise: View of the canyon separating the old from the new town; The three amigos in Ragusa; Naida observing the canyon; A pleasant lunch in Ragusa.
Ragusa is actually two towns separated by a deep canyon, the smaller one called the Old Town and the larger appropriately known as the New Town. The two parts of the city are connected by bridges that cross the deep canyon. We walked through the town stopping now and then to view the canyon and the city on the other side. In the center of the town we passed the cathedral and found a nice place for a late lunch including some freshly prepared cannolis for desert. Then a little more sightseeing and we returned to our car.
The Cathedral of St George in Ragusa.From upper left then clockwise: Naida and George enjoying the view; A antique store in Ragusa; an interesting sculptured balcony in Ragusa; Another view of the canyons.
It was getting late and the rain was picking up again so we decided to skip the stops at Piazza Armerina, and Enna and head directly to Canicatti and Antonio’s.
Two photographs of the Sicilian countryside on the way to Canicatti from Ragusa.
Papa Joe's Tales, Fables and Parables 