7. BAROQUE ITINERARY

The earthquakes of 1542 and of 1693 completely destroyed nearly all the towns in the district of Siracusa. The subsequent - total or partial - reconstruction followed the Baroque architectural style. Churches, palaces, monasteries and all types of public and private buildings were decorated by famous architects, painters and sculptors, and by countless stone-cutters and smiths.

SIRACUSA

The façade of the Duomo; the palaces: Vermexio, Beneventano del Bosco, Borgia, Blanco, Impellizzeri, Rizza and Bongiovanni; the Churches: Santa Lucia alla Badia, Collegio dei Gesuiti, San Cristoforo, Immacolata, San Filippo Apostolo, San Filippo Neri, Santa Maria del Michelangelo Bonamici, San Giuseppe, Santo Spirito and San Giacomo; the Palazzo Arcivescovile, Via delle Maestranze (for its uniformity of style). The Monastery of Santa Maria del Ritiro, the Oratory of San Filippo Neri, and Palazzo Bellomo.

AUGUSTA

Churches: le Anime Sante, San Giuseppe, l'Annunziata, la Chiesa Madre (Church of the Mother of God), and Santa Maria del Soccorso.

MELILLI

The Chiesa Madre, the Church of San Sebastiano.

FRANCOFONTE

The former Palazzo del Marchese and the Chiesa Madre.

SORTINO

The Church of the Collegio, the Chiesa Madre, the Church of the Annunziata, the Church of San Sebastiano and the Monastery of Montevergine.

FERLA

Churches: San Sebastiano, Sant'Antonio, Santa Maria del Gesu and the Chiesa Madre.

PALAZZOLO ACREIDE

Churches: Annunziata, San Sebastiano and the Chiesa Madre; palaces: Iudica-Cafici, Ferla and Cappellani.

BUCCHERI

Churches: Santa Maria Maddalena (inside there is a statue of Mary Magdalen by A. Gagini), Sant'Antonio Abate and the Chiesa Madre.

NOTO

Churches: Ecce Homo, San Francesco, Spirito Santo, Santa Maria Dell'Arco, Madonna del Carmine, SantaChiara, the Duomo, San Salvatore, San Carlo, San Francesco di Paola, Santa Caterina, Montevergini, Sant'Agata, Santa Maria del Gesu, SS. Crocifisso; Monasteries: of the Cappuccini, Francescani, Benedettini, Gesuiti, Padri Domenicani, Crociferi; palaces: Ducezio, Nicolaci, Villadorata, Astuto, Trigona-Canicarao, Sant'Alfano; the Villetta of Hercules and the Royal Gate.

AVOLA

The Chiesa Madre dedicated to San Nicola of Bari, the Churches of Sant'Antonio Abate, of the Santa Venera and of the Annunziata; the Guttadauro palace.