THE PATHS OF BAROQUE IN SOUTH EASTERN SICILY
Cultural itinerary of the cities in the Noto Valley World Heritage Site

Reasons that justify the “exceptional universal value” of cultural heritage in the Noto Valley.

Due to its quality and relevant homogeneity of its architectural and urban heritage, the Noto Valley constitutes a heritage of exceptional value.
Due to its baroque age, an urban phenomenon comparable to the Sicilian rebirth after the earthquake in 1693, which destroyed about 60 cities some of which totally destroyed and others greatly damaged or in part demolished, does not exist in Europe.
For these reasons the antique Noto Valley may be considered the largest building site in the history of Sicily and for what is known, perhaps the largest laboratory of experimentation with regards to the international models of baroque.
It is for such a consistent phenomenon as well as for the quantity of rebuilt or restructured centres, moreover, for the exceptional quality of the results obtained that makes this case unique where it is possible to encounter the application of common cultural and constructive criteria.
The eight chosen cities chosen to be added to the World Heritage List make up exemplary cases with regards the widest phenomenon of the post 1693 reconstruction. They stand out with regards to their own identity features in three categories set out in the World Heritage List:

1. Historical centres (of which Caltagirone, Noto and Ragusa are part of);

2. Urban environment: streets and squares (Piazza Duomo, Via dei Crociferi and surrounding monuments of Catania; the old Via del Corso San Michele in Scicli; today Via F. Mormina Penna);

3. Monuments ( the churches of St. George and St. Peter in Modica; St. Sebastian and St. Paul in Palazzolo Acreide; St. Nicholas and Santa Maria della Stella in Militello Valley of Catania).

The itinerary is intended to be an active cultural experience from which the diversity of features emerges and as a unification of the various settlements in the Noto Valley.
The “theme porteur” is obviously baroque, however it is not only intended as a journey through baroque, since the the resources of this rich territory are also at the same time archaeological and natural. One need think only of the archaeological area of Siracusa, the antique sites in Noto of Eloro, Vendicari, Akrai to the Anapo Valley, the quarry in Ispica, the archaeological sites in the Ragusa area, to the natural environment of Caltagirone and Militello, the archaeological sites of Catania and Etna and so on. All of the above clearly show the antique origins of the settlements in the Noto Valley and the sacred attachment that its inhabitants have towards them despite its earthquakes.