COMISO
In Comiso we can visit the Mother Church, dedicated to Santa Maria delle Stelle, built in the late fourteenth century. The inside is full of works of art, including putty decorations, paintings, wood carvings, and 15 marble altars. In this church the most loved part is the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, built in the eighteenth century.
CALTAGIRONE
Caltagirone, known as the town of the ceramics for its rich production which is important on the historical and artistic side, has several points of interest.
The Church of Santa Maria del Monte preserves, among other works, the sacred image of the Madonna Conadomini, an old table dating back to the 1200 painted in the Byzantine style depicting the Virgin Mary and Jesus, very dear to the faithful. You can enter the church from the famous Stair of Santa Maria del Monte consisting of 142 steps made of ceramic with different representations for each century since Norman until the nineteenth century. The Bourbon Prison, built in the late eighteenth century, is a building with a simple and elegant structure. Today it houses the Civic Museum of Caltagirone, divided between archaeological section and art gallery, and other temporary exhibitions and events.
Stair of Santa Maria del Monte Caltagirone
CHIARAMONTE GULFI
Chiaramonte Gulfi is called Town of Oil both for its production and Balconi of Sicily as it is situated on a hill that offers wonderful views across the surrounding area. Some very interesting points are the Basilica of Santa Maria La Nova and the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Gulfi.
Camarina Archaeological Park offers a beautiful testimony of the Greek civilization at the beginning of the sixth century B.C. and includes archaic graves and the remains of the Temple of Athena. The Regional Archaeological Museum of Camarina guards the relics found in the numerous excavations, here we can admire the funerary objects, decorated vases and ornaments.
RAGUSA
A few kilometers from Ragusa, there’s the famous Castle of Donnafugata. It is a nineteenth-century palace built in a style which grants it the “castle” definition. Its white walls, towers and battlements, the loggia and windows with ancient decorations, make it like a fairytale castle. Its characteristic “donnafugata” name is attributed to the escape of Queen Bianca of Navarre who was imprisoned there, or to the translation from the Arabic of the Spring of Health.
The Castle of Donnafugata is characterized by its beautiful gardens and the stone labyrinth.
Scicli view
SCICLI
The village of Scicli in Ragusa district is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage property for its baroque old town center. Among the most beautiful monuments there are the Palazzo Beneventano, Palazzo Spadaro, the Church of St. Matthew and the church of St. Bartholomew the Apostle.
NOTO
The town of Noto, in the district of Syracuse, is considered the capital of Baroque and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage property. St. Nicholas Cathedral is an example of this style together with the Church of San Domenico, Palazzo Nicolaci and Palazzo Modica.
