Scicli
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 23 October 2023
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The town of Scicli has a population of just under twenty seven thousand inhabitants and is also one of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) inscribed since 2002 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It belongs to the Sicilian Province of Ragusa and lies a distance of 280 kilometres south east of Palermo, the capital of Sicily.
Many people will be familiar with Scicli as it's one of the key locations in the Inspector Montalbano television series where it takes the place of the fictional town of Vigata. |
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Baroque architecture on Via Francesco Mormino Penna
The most recognisable part of the town to fans of Inspector Montalbano is the beautiful Via Francesco Mormino Penna on which lies the town hall of Scicli which doubles up as the questura or Commissariato di Vigata on the TV show. This street which is graced by Baroque buildings and lined with oleander trees is just one reason why the town earned its UNESCO listing.
Exploring the churches of Scicli
Recently given an impressive facelift, the street starts with a small bandstand at one end and an outdoor restaurant facing the town hall building. Just a few steps beyond that is another wonderful Baroque edifice: the Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista whose monumental staircase seeps out onto the street.
The intricate detail inside the church merits some extended study while one of the paintings depicts Christ wearing what appears to be a skirt. The long, white skirt is in fact a death shroud and a typical image of Christ in paintings from 17th century Burgos in Spain where it came from.
There's a good deal to see in Scicli and using Via Mormino Penna as the starting point of your itinerary, you can then head west along the beautiful tree-lined street which opens out at the end. At this point there's a dry stream with a narrow road along each side called Via Aleardi. You can walk up this colourful walkway to the Chiesa della Madonna at the end of a gradual rise. Although the Torrente Aleardi no longer has water running through it, this is a pretty area of the town, crossed by bridges at various intervals.
The intricate detail inside the church merits some extended study while one of the paintings depicts Christ wearing what appears to be a skirt. The long, white skirt is in fact a death shroud and a typical image of Christ in paintings from 17th century Burgos in Spain where it came from.
There's a good deal to see in Scicli and using Via Mormino Penna as the starting point of your itinerary, you can then head west along the beautiful tree-lined street which opens out at the end. At this point there's a dry stream with a narrow road along each side called Via Aleardi. You can walk up this colourful walkway to the Chiesa della Madonna at the end of a gradual rise. Although the Torrente Aleardi no longer has water running through it, this is a pretty area of the town, crossed by bridges at various intervals.
Further exploration of the town's architecture
Piazza Busacca which sits in front of the Chiesa della Madonna is a lively square with a popular restaurant on the corner. Continuing straight across the crossroads here you enter Via Santa Maria La Nova, a street that heads east, away from the town but marked by two churches before that: the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Consolazione and the Chiesa di Santa Maria La Nova from which the street takes its name. If you look up to your right from this street you'll see a third church perched on the hill: the Chiesa di San Matteo. Although it takes some effort to do so, you can walk the path from the street up to the church to get the very best views down on to the town.
Making your descent from the church on the hill towards the town centre you eventually reach the Palazzo Beneventano, one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the town. South of there, along the Via Nazionale you reach the busy intersection which leads on to Via San Bartolomeo, similar in some ways to the Via Santa Maria La Nova as there's a hill on the left and another fine Baroque church, the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo before the road leads out of town. If you turn left at the church, you walk up into one of the town's residential areas which includes a system of caves called the Grotte di Chiafura that date back to the neolithic period but were used relatively recently.
Making your descent from the church on the hill towards the town centre you eventually reach the Palazzo Beneventano, one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in the town. South of there, along the Via Nazionale you reach the busy intersection which leads on to Via San Bartolomeo, similar in some ways to the Via Santa Maria La Nova as there's a hill on the left and another fine Baroque church, the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo before the road leads out of town. If you turn left at the church, you walk up into one of the town's residential areas which includes a system of caves called the Grotte di Chiafura that date back to the neolithic period but were used relatively recently.
Around Piazza Italia - a favourite meeting point
Back towards the town centre is Scicli's largest and most open square: Piazza Italia. This is a favourite focal and meeting point for locals and another part of the town lined with beautiful trees. You can get the iconic photo of the town from this point, looking up towards the Chiesa di San Matteo up on the hill, before wandering over to another attractive tree-lined street next to the piazza on Largo Antonio Gramsci. Scicli's train station is situated a ten minute walk (800 metres) from Piazza Italia in the direction of Largo Antonio Gramsci, south west of the town centre.
Close to Scicli
Heading north of Scicli the train's first stop is the beautiful town of Modica, famous not only for its chocolate but for its own Baroque churches which earn it a place on the same UNESCO listing as Scicli. The train to Modica takes just 11 minutes with the next stop being Ragusa, a third of the eight Val di Noto towns listed by UNESCO. Ragusa is a 22 minute train journey from Scicli and the major city in the local area. Aside from its Baroque architecture, it's famous for its lower town called Ibla with a beautiful central square and palm-tree filled park of Giardino Ibleo.
Comune di Scicli
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Province: Ragusa
Region: Sicily Population: 26,822 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2022) Size: 138 km² Elevation: 106 metres Close by: Donnalucata, Plaja Grande, Modica, Sampieri, Ragusa Recommended accommodation: Scicli Albergo Diffuso |
Scicli Travel
Train is a highly-effective way of exploring the local area and it's not often you can say that in Sicily. From Scicli you can take the train to Syracuse with a journey time of an hour and 25 minutes with some great stops along the way. Closest to Sicily heading south is the beach resort of Sampieri (10 minutes) followed by the port of Pozzallo (20 mins) from where you can sail to Malta by ferry. After Pozzallo there's the golden city of Noto (53 mins) and the stunning beach resort of Fontane Bianche (1 hour 11 minutes) before reaching Syracuse.
With a car there are even more possibilities close by and Inspector Montalbano fans will enjoy the likes of Punta Secca, the beach resort which is his home in the show, and the wonderful Donnafugata Castle which has made screen appearances on a variety of production including the film: Tale of Tales (2015).
With a car there are even more possibilities close by and Inspector Montalbano fans will enjoy the likes of Punta Secca, the beach resort which is his home in the show, and the wonderful Donnafugata Castle which has made screen appearances on a variety of production including the film: Tale of Tales (2015).
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily)
Year: 2002
Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily)
Year: 2002
