Tour of the baroque eastern Sicily

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1 Tour of the baroque eastern Sicily Taste and Slow Italy - Trasimeno Travel Sas, Via Novella 1/F, Castiglione del Lago, Perugia. Tel , Fax info@tasteandslowitaly.com

2 Day 01 Arrival at the airport in Catania. Meeting with the tour leader to reach Modica by private bus. Accommodation in a 3 or 4 star hotel in Modica. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. Day 02 Modica After breakfast, departure with the tour leader to reach Ragusa by private bus. Meeting with the local guide and visit to Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla. You will have the opportunity to take part to a very delicious tasting session in a typical shop called A putia. In 1693 the city was devastated by a huge earthquake, which destroyed almost every building, house, palace and even the castle located on the highest part of the hill. After this catastrophe, the city was rebuilt by splitting Ragusa in two quarters: in fact, some of the inhabitants started rebuilding in the old part of the city Ragusa which had been completely destroyed by the earthquake; others preferred to move away and start a new and more modern quarter characterized by a baroque style which today is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Lunch at your leisure. After lunch, departure to go back to Modica to take part to a quite unforgettable experience: you will have the opportunity to attend to a local cakes cooking class! Visit of Modica which, like Ragusa, had to face an awful earthquake and which, exactly like Ragusa, has sub sequentially been divided into two quarters: Upper Modica and Lower Modica. Modica, is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage list. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

3 Day 03 After breakfast, departure with the tour leader to reach the Castle of Donnafugata by private bus. The name of this building can be misleading because it is not a medieval castle but a magnificent noble dwelling dating back to the late 19th century. The dwelling overlooked the properties owned by the very rich Arezzi De Spuches family. The dwelling is divided into three floors, it has 122 rooms; visitors today have the possibility to access 20 of them. Visiting these rooms will be like going back to the past! You will have the opportunity to admire original pieces of furniture of that period! Departure to Scicli, visit of this small town and lunch at your leisure. The name Scicli is thought to be derived from Siclis, word used to indicate the Siculi who moved to Sicily in the 15th century AD. Scicli was also added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in Here you will have the chance to pay a visit to the Beneventano Palace, extraordinary example of the Sicilian baroque. Castello di Donnafugata Scicli Noto Next stop of the tour will be Noto, one of the most wonderful cities in Sicily, famous for baroque architecture and for the rose-colored stones of the buildings. Noto, like the majority of the cities of East Sicily, is included in the UNESCO Word Heritage list. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Modica Day 04 After breakfast, departure with the tour leader to reach Siracusa by private bus. Meeting with the local guide to visit the archeological site of Ortygia Island. Ortygia, dating back to the 15th Century AD, was the first settlement of the city of Syracuse.

4 Free time to visit the various shops where you can buy some of the city s typical products! You will then visit the baroque area and the magnificent Jewish Bath in Syracuse. Lunch at your leisure. In the afternoon, departure to Palazzolo Acreide where you will have the opportunity to taste the delicious Sicilian pizza! Return to the hotel in Modica, at 11 pm. Siracusa Overnight stay at the hotel. Day 05 After breakfast, departure with the tour leader to reach Ispica Cave by private bus. After a two hours walk you will have the chance to wander across places which used to be prehistoric settlements. A visit to an ancient water mill will follow. In the late morning, departure to Caltagirone. Before reaching the city, enjoy a tasty lunch in a winery! This winery, with its excellent selection of wines, takes part every year to Vinitaly, an exhibition of wines and spirits held annually in Verona. Caltagirone In the afternoon, we will reach Caltagirone. Free time for shopping in one of the famous pottery shops of the city. Back to Modica, dinner on your own expenses and overnight stay at the hotel. Day 06 After breakfast, departure with the tour leader to reach Taormina or Giardini Naxos. On the way to Taorminia or Giardini Naxos, we will make a quick stop for a guided tour of Catania and of its wonderful fishing market. Lunch at your leisure in Catania. Next stops will be in Acitrezza and Acireale. Taormina

5 Arrival at the hotel in Taorminia or Giardini Naxos at 7,30 pm. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel. Day 07 After breakfast, departure with the tour leader and the private bus for a very unforgettable experience: a visit to the Mount Etna Volcano. Catania The Etna Volcano is the tallest volcano in Europe and also one of the most active in the whole world. Its eruptions occur both at the summit, where there are currently four craters, and at its flanks, down to a few hundred meters above the sea-level, quite close to the residential buildings. The land of Etna is also a place rich in myths and legends: in the past, people used to look up to the mountain with respect, fear and trembling: after all, it is said that the Roman God of Fire, Vulcanus, used to dwell in the Mount Etna Volcano. The ancient sailors of the Mediterranean Sea already knew the Mount well and considered it like a lighthouse which used to guide them. Stop at the Sapienza s Shelter and guided tour of the volcano. Departure to Zafferana Etnea and visit of a local farm famous for its wine and for its tasty honey. Lunch based on local delicacies. In the early afternoon, visit to Taormina, an enchanting city famous all over the world. Overnight stay at the hotel. Day 08 After breakfast, departure with the tour leader to reach the airport by private bus. End of tour.

6 Tour information: The tour will be available with a minimum of 16 paying partecipants. The tour is available all year round. The tour can be changed according to airport and flights schedule Round trip flights reservation available Booking cancellations insurance available Services Included: 8 days, 7 nights in a 3/ 4 star hotel centrally located (half board treatment in Modica, b&b treatment in Giardini Naxos or Taormina) Tour leader for the whole duration of the tour Local guide for 7 half days in Ragusa, Noto, Modica, Siracusa, Catania, Etna, Taormina. Private bus with driver for the whole duration of the tour Lunch with wine tasting in Caltagirone. Lunch in Zafferana Etnea. Pizza dinner in Palazzolo Acreide. Pastry cooking class with tasting. Not included: Anything which is not expressly mentioned in the list above Travel health insurance Baggage insurance Entrance fees to the museums Tips and personal expenses DAY ITINERARY MEALS 1 Arrival and transfer in hotel in Modica D 2 Guided tour of Ragusa, Ragusa Ibla and Modica B - D 3 The Donnafugata Castle, Scicli and Noto B - D 4 Siracusa, guided tour of Ortygia. Tour of Palazzolo Acreide and pizza tasting B - D 5 Tour of Cava d Ispica and Caltagirone B - L 6 Guided tour of Catania, transfer to Taormina or Giardini Naxos, stop in Acitrezza and Acireale B -D 7 Visit volcano Etna B - L 8 End of services B B = breakfast L = lunch D = dinner Taste and Slow Italy - Trasimeno Travel Sas, Via Novella 1/F, Castiglione del Lago, Perugia. Tel , Fax info@tasteandslowitaly.com