Palazzolo Acreide

Two chronological references provide the most immediate key to understanding the small town in the Iblei mountains, overlooking the splendid, deep incision of the Anapo valley. The first is 664 B.C., when the Syracusans, expanding into the interior of the island, founded Akrai; the second is 1693, when a terrible earthquake rased this and other towns in Val di Noto to the ground.

The particular Baroque style imposed during the city's reconstruction is the reason for its scenic appearance, and also for its inclusion, together with seven other towns in Val di Noto, among the cities recognised by Unesco as World Heritage Sites. The most significant examples are offered by churches with 'tower' façades, such as San Sebastiano, the basilica of San Paolo and the Immacolata, or with highly ornamented portals, such as the Annunziata. Decorative elements, figured corbels and wrought iron balconies are also emphasised in the civil architecture, for example in Palazzo Iudica and Palazzo Ferla.

A short walk brings you to the Akraiarchaeological site, where the allure of the monuments – in particular the theatre, dating from the third century B.C. – is intertwined with the splendour of a vast and solemn landscape.