Noto

Noto, in the Val di Noto of south-east Sicily, is the most complete and theatrical of the baroque towns rebuilt after the catastrophic 1693 earthquake levelled the region. Laid out afresh on a grid of warm golden limestone that turns honey-amber in afternoon light, the town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and effectively an open-air museum of late Sicilian baroque. Its spine is the pedestrian Corso Vittorio Emanuele, lined with churches and palaces whose facades curve, swell, and flourish with carved balconies; the broad steps of the cathedral of San Nicolò, rebuilt after its dome collapsed in 1996, rise on one side, while the Palazzo Ducezio with its colonnaded loggia faces it across the street. A short detour onto Via Nicolaci reveals the town's most photographed sight: the wrought-iron balconies of Palazzo Nicolaci di Villadorata, supported by carved horses, mermaids, lions, and grotesque figures. A leisurely visit takes two to three hours, climbing the church of San Carlo bell tower or the cathedral terrace for rooftop views across the golden town. Noto is at its most magical in the late afternoon, when the low sun sets the stone glowing, and in the cooler evening when locals take their passeggiata. Crowds peak at midday and on summer weekends; mornings and evenings are calmer. The town is also a celebrated stop for sweets, with historic cafes serving granita and almond pastries. In May the Infiorata festival carpets Via Nicolaci with elaborate flower-petal designs, drawing large crowds. Comfortable shoes help on the gently sloping streets, and the compact centre is easily explored on foot in this corner of the Sicilian province of Syracuse.