After the 1693 earthquake south-eastern Sicily was rebuilt from scratch, and out of it came eight Baroque towns now on the Unesco list: Noto, Modica, Ragusa Ibla, Scicli, Catania and the others. They are visited in sequence, with short distances and quiet roads.
Ortigia, the island where Syracuse was born, completes the picture: Greek temples absorbed into churches, a morning market and the sea on every side. This is the best area to combine architecture, food and a slow pace.
