Scicli (Sicily)

Scicli is a town in the Province of Ragusa, southeastern Sicily. Alongside seven other cities in the Val di Noto, it has been listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The town flourished under the Saracens and Normans but later declined and was heavily damaged by the earthquake of 1693. It was rebuilt on a regular pattern, and its principal buildings are in the Baroque style. Scicli contains a lot of monuments and places if interest, including a number of lovely churches such as those of Sant’Ignazio, San Matteo, San Bartolomeo and Santa Marìa la Nova. The many aristocratic palazzi, such as Palazzo Beneventano, are also fun to see, brimming over with characterful gargoyles, elegant swirls and decorative fancies. A stroll along Via Francesco Mormina Penna is also strongly recommended as it provides a perfect example of a late Baroque street, harmonious in its wholeness and equal to anything found in the neighbouring towns of greater fame. Scicli is popular in Italy as the location of the police station (Commissariato) of Il Commissario Montalbano, the popular television series broadcast by RAI. At Easter, the town celebrates with the "Uomo Vivo" parade which involves a long religious procession through the city.