If you want to discover the Baroque beauty secrets, this is the tour for you! An incredible full-day dedicated to the exploration of two fascinating UNESCO heritage sites: Ragusa Ibla and Modica. Departure from Syracuse in direction of Ragusa Ibla. Our Team will offer you time at disposal to keep the feeling with this section of the town, giving you direction to explore independently the old part of the city and an undisputed reality of Baroque art. Here you can admire numerous eighteenth-century churches and buildings and the Gardens. Soon after, you will discover another jewel of the Sicilian Baroque: Modica. Lunch is included in a typical trattoria to enjoy the food specialties of this side of Sicily, where a strong Spanish influence is still alive. Obviously, you will have the opportunity to taste the local chocolate made following the tradition that origined from the Aztec of Central America brought in Sicily from the Spanish in the 17^ century At the end of the tour, return to Syracuse.

The first stop on this 8-hour tour is Noto, the Garden of Stone, noted for its Baroque heritage. After the massive 1693 earthquake, Noto was rebuilt on Meti Hill. The town’s origins date to the Early Bronze Age. Continue to Modica and visit the oldest chocolate factory in Sicily. The city also has a rich history and a wonderful architectural heritage. See the cathedrals of San Giorgio and San Pietro and the Palazzo Polara and Palazzo Napolino-Tommasi Rosso, among others. Ragusa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage in 2002 for its monuments of the late Baroque period. Visit examples of this style including its cathedrals and palaces.

Experience Southeast Italy through the perspective of the popular Italian television series Inspector Montalbano. This tour visits the places of Inspector Montalbano, the series main character, in Punta Secca, Ragusa, and Scicli. Meet your guide in Catania and head to the quaint villa of Punta Secca. Visit the inspector's seafront house, Marinella. Continue on to Ragusa to explore the many alleyways of its historic center. Take note as you walk through the backdrop of many scenes in the series. Afterward, go to the town of Scicli. As you wander through its historic center admire the many Baroque buildings and churches featured in the series, including the town hall, which served as the location of the Vigata police station.

The guided tour of Ragusa in the historic center of Ibla following the style of the late Baroque with religious buildings and characteristic palaces that have made this place a real jewel. Let's start from the Portal of San Giorgio, the only architectural element that survived the earthquake that destroyed the entire town and also the ancient Cathedral of San Giorgio which was later rebuilt in another part of Ibla and which we will visit later. The beautiful portal, symbol of Ragusa, is made with light pink stones in the Gothic-Catalan style and in its central part the fight between St. George and the dragon is depicted. A few steps away we find the entrance to the Ibleo Garden, the oldest garden in Ragusa, built in the nineteenth century and overlooking the Irminio Valley and the Iblei Mountains, where you are welcomed at the main entrance by an avenue of 50 palm trees and an elegant balcony that borders the garden. Inside this oasis of peace and relaxation in the shade of ancient trees and exotic plants there are some fountains including one with the shape of Sicily, the monument to the fallen of the Great War and some churches. We will visit the Church of San Giacomo which stands on an ancient temple whose interior will amaze you with its wooden ceiling, Corinthian columns, statues and precious paintings. The tour continues walking through the historic center where we will visit elegant palaces from the outside with balconies supported by typical Baroque-style masks, Sicilian ceramics shops, artisan shops where the famous Sicilian carts are still made up to the famous Conversation Circle, called also Caffè dei Cavalieri, an elegant neoclassical building wanted in the nineteenth century by the nobles of Ragusa as an exclusive meeting point. From the outside you can see precious frescoes and chandeliers on the ceiling and mirrors that bring us back to a nineteenth-century atmosphere. On the main street leading to the Cathedral we also find the beautiful Church of S. Giuseppe with a facade similar to the cathedral, in Baroque style and with a beautiful floor of colored majolica inside. The guided tour ends with the symbolic monument of Ragusa, the Cathedral of San Giorgio, preceded by an imposing staircase. Visiting the church inside, we can admire the beautiful paintings of the eighteenth-century Sicilian masters, the large pipe organ and the statue of St. George on horseback with his reliquary.

The Sicilian baroque is an icon in the area known as Val di Noto. After the devastating earthquake of 1693, these places were rebuilt with this style of decorations. Discover the rich of ghostly masks and elaborate stone carvings. First discover Noto, the capital of Sicilian baroque. Walk among the wonderful buildings of the Garden of Stone and admire the elegance and sinuosity of the architectural elements. The itinerary continues towards Modica, a city of ancient origins and with an excellent culinary tradition. Taste the different varieties of Modica chocolate, famous and known throughout the world. Ragusa Ibla completes the full immersion in the Baroque with its characteristic alleys, opulent buildings and Iblei gardens.

Marvel at beautiful landscapes, taste delicious Sicilian wine, and soak up a delightful Baroque atmosphere on a 3-hour tour in Ragusa. There is only one way to discover Ragusa and that is to cross it. In order to do so you need really comfortable shoes, a strong desire to get to know the place, a perfect visual memory to capture the beauties of this splendid land, and some space in your heart to bring back home the Sicilian hospitality and generosity. Recall in your memory the old Italian films where life ticks slowly by with no excitement, only with silent admiration: simple doorways and well decorated portals, gates and windows adorned with flowers, jutting balconies supported by grotesque masks, sumptuous decorations of churches, deformed simplicity of narrow steps, and small quiet alleyways.  Traditionally, the best way to serve this magnificent baroque atmosphere is Sicilian wine. Ragusa is a wine-connoisseurs’ paradise: red or white, but always intense, deep, and unexpectedly rich. The soil composition, lots of sunshine days, and healthy biodiversity make excellent conditions to maintain the antique wine tradition in Sicily. 

Our first stop is in Ragusa Ibla, where you will see some of the TV show's filming locations, including the fascinating Hyblean garden and the Corso 25 Aprile. Along the way you'll see the commissioner's favourite trattoria, the Vigata police station (in Piazza Pola) and the Vigata Square (Piazza Duomo), where you can also explore the Cathedral of San Giorgio. In a vast area full of carob and olive trees, you will see the Castle of Donnafugata and its breathtaking views from the terrace. As you walk around the park, memories of iconic scenes from the TV series will come flooding back. Of course, the tour wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Montalbano house, and so we head to the small fishing village of Punta Secca. Marinella is a charming village that overlooks the Mediterranean; a hamlet of Santa Croce Camerina. Here you can admire the characteristic lighthouse. The last stop of the Montalbano tour will be Scicli, to see the Palazzo del Municipio (the Quaestor of Montelusa's room) and Palazzo Iacono (the Police of Montelusa Headquarters).

Journey through the Sicilian baroque on a private day tour from Syracuse. Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Ragusa Ibla, Modica, and Noto on walking tours. See the Duomo of San Giorgio, the Church of San Giorgio, the Church of San Pietro, and more. After pickup in Syracuse, make your first stop in the old Baroque city of Ragusa Ibla. Admire numerous 18th-century churches and buildings on which important sculptors and architects worked. Hear about the famous "Baroque of the Noto Valley." Next, discover another jewel of the Sicilian Baroque: Modica. Stroll through the town and admire its churches, noble palace facades, fountains, the Pizzo viewpoint, San Giorgio Church, San Pietro Church, and the ruins of the castle. From there, continue toward the capital of Baroque: Noto. Walk around the city and marvel at its historic palaces, churches, terraces, and stairways, all built with a local stone with a golden color. Visit the Porta Reale — the real city gate — and the Cathedral of San Nicolò. See the most important building in the town, the Palazzo Ducezio, before continuing on a few steps to the Via Nicolaci, famous throughout the world for its infiorata (flower carpets).