Scicli Destination in Sicily · Province of Ragusa

The main things to see in Scicli are its Baroque churches and palazzi around Piazza Italia and along Via Mormino Penna, the carved facade of Palazzo Beneventano, and the church of San Matteo on the ridge above town. This small town in the province of Ragusa lies 12 km south of Modica and 24 km from Ragusa, and like those better-known neighbors it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Where Scicli lies and how it was rebuilt

Scicli belongs to the Baroque towns of the Val di Noto that UNESCO inscribed as World Heritage in 2002. It is smaller than the other towns of the area and sits on a wide plateau between three narrow, deeply cut valleys (Modica, Santa Maria La Nova and San Bartolomeo). The surrounding Iblei hills are a landscape of dry stone walls, gorges and carob trees.

The earthquake of 1693 left Scicli badly damaged. The town was rebuilt in the Sicilian Baroque style, and many of its buildings still have an ocher tone.

Things to see in Scicli: churches and palazzi

On Piazza Italia stands the Chiesa Madre di S. Ignazio di Loyola, home of the Madonna delle Milizie, a papier-mâché figure of the Virgin on horseback, sword in hand, fighting the Saracens. The Chiesa di San Bartolomeo keeps a nativity scene dated 1573, and the Chiesa S. Maria la Nova houses a Byzantine wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.

Along Via Mormino Penna one Baroque palazzo follows another. The best known is Palazzo Beneventano on Via Duca d'Aosta, a favorite with photographers for its waterspouts, scrollwork and grotesque masks, with two Moors' heads at the top and Saint Joseph below. The art historian Anthony Blunt wrote of its pale golden-yellow stone taking on great richness in the sun and called it "the most beautiful Baroque palace in Sicily." A few steps away is the Antica Farmacia Cartia, an old pharmacy that is part of the Piccoli Musei network of small museums.

Farther along the same street is the town hall, where scenes of the TV series Il Commissario Montalbano were filmed. Scicli was one of the main locations of the series, which is based on the novels of the Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri. The church of San Giovanni Evangelista and Palazzo Spadaro, both Sicilian Baroque, face the same square.

In the evening the streets are lit in warm light, and the town's restaurants are a good place to try a local wine.

San Matteo and the view from above

For another perspective, walk up to the Chiesa Madre di San Matteo. It stands on a ridge above the town, where the castle and the old center once were, probably on the site of Scicli's earliest church. From here the view stretches across the whole plain to the sea.

The filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini stayed in Chiafura, a small quarter of Scicli, and said: "Visto così, da lontano, e dall'alto, Scicli era quello che si dice la Sicilia." Seen like this, from afar and from above, Scicli was what people mean by Sicily.

The Cavalcata di San Giuseppe in March

Every March the Cavalcata di San Giuseppe winds through town. The procession sets off in front of the Chiesa di San Giuseppe and crosses all of Scicli, led by the "Holy Family" and followed by horses decked out in fragrant flowers. Large bonfires light the streets along the way. When the procession ends, people gather around the fires over grilled meat, roasted artichokes and wine.

Beaches and day trips nearby

A few minutes from Scicli are the beach towns of Donnalucata, Cava d'Aliga, Sampieri and Playa Grande, with long sandy beaches and rocky coves. The water is very shallow, which suits small children, and Marina di Modica is a good spot for surfers.

If you want more of the Baroque, visit the cities of Modica and Ragusa from Scicli.