During my visit to Sicily, I did a day trip to the southern parts. I visited Noto and Ispica. Noto has a beautiful street, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, with many beautiful baroque buildings. In Ispica I visited the cemetery, which has some grandiouse tombs.
Noto dates back to Roman times. It was totally destroyed in the Sicilian earthquake in 1693. It was rebuilt in Sicilian Baroque style in the 18th century.
Corso Vittorio Emanuele. (795k) One of the side streets in Noto. (795k) One of the side streets in Noto. (805k) Noto cathedral (La Chiesa Madre di San Nicolò), completed in 1776. (668k) Noto cathedral. (793k) St. Charles Church (Chiesa di San Carlo al Corso), from 1700. (886k) Chiesa di San Carlo al Corso. (770k) Church of St. Domenico (Chiesa di San Domenico), built between 1703 and 1727 by architect Rosario Gagliardi. (928k) Church of San Francesco d'Assisi, built between 1704 and 1745 by architects Vincenzo Sinatra and Rosario Gagliardi (right), and Monastero del Santissimo Salvatore (left). (864k) Palazzo Ducezio, designed in 1746 by Vincenzo Sinatra, completed in 1830. It houses the Noto town hall. (747k) Theater (Teatro Vittorio Emanuele), started in 1853. (806k) Fountain with marble statues. (961k) Monument for soldiers in World War I. (883k)
Ispica
Ispica is a city and comune in the south of Sicily. It is 50 km (31 miles) south of Syracuse The first mention in a document of Ispica occurred in 1093, in a list of churches and ecclesiastic departments for administrative purposes, but the territory has been colonized since the Bronze Age.
It was destroyed in the 1693 Sicilian earthquake
Ispica. (854k) Switchback road leading up to Ispica. (1025k) The 16th century St. Francis monastery. It precedes the Baroque architectural period. (923k) Chiesa Maria SS. del Carmelo, and adjoining Convent, founded in 1534, rebuilt after the earthquake, completed in 1730. (900k) Row of tombs in the cemetery in Ispica. (709k) Wall with individual graves. (783k) Family tomb. (722k) Family grave site. (685k) Family grave site. (631k) Old family tomb. (839k)