Noto
A swirl of boxes and stuccowork, this petite 19th-century theatre is named in honour of Italian stage and silent-film actress Tina Di Lorenzo (1872–1930),…
Must-see attractions in Southeastern Sicily
Chiesa Rupestre di San Nicolò Inferiore
Modica
Carved into the rock and discovered by accident in 1987, this 12th-century church is Modica's oldest. It's worth a visit for its Byzantine frescoes, whose…
Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista
Southeastern Sicily
After the earthquake of 1693 reduced the original church to rubble, construction of the current baroque beauty began in 1760. Behind its elegant convex…
Ragusa
Channelling the classical iconography of Charity, this powerful depiction of a Sicilian mother tending to two infants was executed by Australian street…
Syracuse
Guarding the island's southern tip, Ortygia's 13th-century castle is an evocative place to wander, gaze out over the water and contemplate Syracuse's past…
Ragusa
South of the cathedral, off Via Roma, is the Museo Archeologico Ibleo, an important if somewhat forlorn archaeological museum housing finds from…
Ragusa
Italian-born, Berlin-based artist Agostino Iacurci is the talent behind this voluptuous, multi-storey mural. Titled Ogni bene è mobile (Every Object is…
Noto
Commissioned by the Benedictine order, the Chiesa di Santa Chiara was built by Rosario Gagliardi between 1730 and 1758. You can still see the ornate…
Noto
Towering over the tourist office on Piazza XVI Maggio is the 18th-century Chiesa di San Domenico. Considered one of Noto's finest baroque buildings, the…
Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia
Syracuse
The Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia is dedicated to the city's patron saint, St Lucy, martyred in Syracuse during the reign of the Roman emperor…
Southeastern Sicily
Housed in a former monastery, Scicli's Museo del Costume mainly explores the costumes and fashions of the region. The collection spans several centuries…
Chiesa di San Francesco d'Assisi all'Immacolata
Noto
Constructed between 1704 and 1745, this single-nave Franciscan belle is the work of architects Rosario Gagliardi and Vincenzo Sinatra. Step inside to…
Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista
Modica
Attributed to Rosario Gagliardi and marking the top of Modica Alta is this grand baroque church. Prefaced by a sweeping staircase, the church underwent…
Syracuse
It was out of this deep, precipitous limestone quarry that stone for the ancient city was extracted. Riddled with catacombs and filled with citrus and…
Noto
Flanking the architectural jewel box that is Piazza Municipio, this palace dates from the early 18th century. Architect Vincenzo Sinatra had originally…
Ragusa
Via Ludovico Ariosto is home to a striking, four-storey mural of an elderly man by Portuguese street artist Daniel Eime. Illustrating Eime’s knack for…
Chiesa Santa Maria del Carmine
Modica
Also known as Santa Maria dell'Annunziata, this 15th-century church is a rare example of Gothic architecture in Modica, most of it destroyed in the…
Ragusa
Titled Preparato (Prepared), this deliciously sweet, partially abstract mural of a mother and her era-traversing child is by Dutch duo Telmo Pieper and…
Ragusa
Titled Ficupala, this blockbuster mural is the work of Greek artist Dimitris Taxis. The work, stylistically inspired by comic-book art and an ode to…
Syracuse
The small Museo dei Pupi chronicles the history of Sicilian puppetry, with a particular focus on the role local puppeteers Alfredo and Saro Vaccaro played…
Ragusa
Just to the southwest of the train station off Via Archimede is a double portrait by Turinese artist Pixel Pancho, who is famous for exploring the…
Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Scale
Ragusa
The salita commendatore, a winding pass made up of stairs and narrow archways linking the new town with the old, leads past the Chiesa di Santa Maria…
Ragusa
Titled 'The Farmer' and spanning the side of a seven-storey apartment building, this epic mural is the work of prolific Australian street artist Fintan…
Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista
Ragusa
The centrepiece of Ragusa Superiore, and a symbol of its urban renewal, is the enormous Duomo di San Giovanni Battista, built between 1718 and 1778. An…
Southeastern Sicily
Going south towards Pachino on the main SP19 brings you to this Roman villa, home to some fascinating mosaics. The villa was largely destroyed by fire in…
Southeastern Sicily
Dating from 1902, this time-warped pharmacy is a sight to behold, adorned with antique apothecary jars, scales and cash register. Fans of Inspector…
Ragusa
Via Vittorio Alfieri is home to a giant street-art mural by Italian artist Francesco Camillo Giorgino (aka Millo). Using his trademark black-and-white…
Southeastern Sicily
The Cerruto family have lovingly restored this early 18th-century watermill, located in the Cava d'Ispica archaeological area. Now a museum, its…
Ragusa
At the eastern end of the old town is the Giardino Ibleo, a pleasant public garden laid out in the 19th century that is perfect for a picnic lunch.
Syracuse
This 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre was originally used for gladiatorial combats and horse races.
Ragusa
One of the best reasons for heading up to Ragusa's modern and less-attractive half is to walk down again. It takes about half an hour to descend the…
Modica
The Museo Civico houses a modest collection of archaeological finds from Modica and Cava d'Ispica, dating back to the neolithic period. The most prized of…
Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime
Syracuse
Supposedly modelled on the shape of a tear drop, the 102m-high spire of this church dominates modern Syracuse's skyline. The church itself houses a statue…
Syracuse
The Palazzo Municipale or Palazzo Senatoriale was built in 1629 by the Spanish architect Juan Vermexio, who was nicknamed 'Il Lucertolone' or 'the lizard'…
Southeastern Sicily
A 400m walk north of Piazza del Popolo lies Piazza Moro, home to two exquisite baroque churches: the Chiesa Madre (on the southern flank) and the Chiesa…
Ragusa
Built between 1756 and 1796, this elegant church was commissioned by the wealthy Benedictine order. Inside, turn your gaze upward to appreciate Sebastiano…
Syracuse
At the heart of Ortygia is handsome Piazza Archimede, home to Giulio Moschetti's Fontana di Artemide. Constructed between 1906 and 1907, the fountain's…
Syracuse
Loitering beneath Palazzo Municipale are the scant remains of a 6th-century-BC Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis, as well as the modest traces…
Syracuse
A renowned curiosity at the heart of the Latomia del Paradiso (Garden of Paradise) is the ear-shaped artificial grotto known as the Ear of Dionysius…
Casa-Museo di Antonino Uccello
Southeastern Sicily
Off Piazza del Popolo is the former home of the poet and scholar Antonino Uccello (1922–79), a museum since 1984. Uccello devoted himself to preserving…
