Discovering Scicli, Scicli, Italy

=Scicli is enough off the beaten track so a fair portion of the WH-focused community considers it a favorite among the towns comprising Val di Noto serial site. It is bright and clean, its compact central area is easy on the eye, and the ratio of locals-to-visitors is higher than elsewhere even in non-Covid times.

All that being true, Scicli is less visited probably precisely because it is, on balance, less impressive than the other inscribed properties of Val di Noto. I say “probably” in a manner of a disclaimer. We came to Scicli at lunchtime, when all of the churches are customarily closed to visitors. Our overall impression may have ended up more laudatory if we had a chance to explore a few interiors.

Grand Baroque exteriors, in line with the main subject of the WH inscription, are found throughout the commune. For instance, San Barolomeo…

Neither of the above churches is in the formally inscribed WH area, though. In fact, only a small precinct centered on Piazza di Municipio is considered to be part of the World Heritage site, which includes three churches and a couple of palaces. Church of Archangel Michael would be a prime target for a visit if it were open, on account of its tiled interior. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).