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The vision is one of ornamental splendor, shadowy recesses, and a
soaring belfry silhouetted against the sky. Modica Alta, the high town,
smugly surveys the tumble of medieval alleyways below.
Modica Bassa, the moody lower town, spills down the side of a
river gorge. We watch the passeggiata, the early-evening parade of
fashionable residents out for a stroll, as it flows onto Corso Umberto,
passing noble mansions, baroque churches, and friendly bars. Here,
too, is Sicily’s chocolate heart. In Dolceria Bonajuto artisanal choco-
late shop, we tuck into the famously granular chocolate first made
by the Aztecs and introduced to Sicily by the 16th-century Spaniards.
The Aztec-style vanilla and hot-pepper flavor bombs are not for the
faint-hearted.
ON LOCATION IN SCICLI
Morning brings baroque Scicli, set between Modica and the coast.
We stroll along Via Mormino Penna, the well-preserved baroque street,
centered on the church of San Giovanni, with its concave-convex
facade. On neighboring mansions, corbeled balconies depict mythical
beasts, Moors, and ghoulish masks. The flamboyant Palazzo Fava
displays a riot of creatures, including cherubs on horseback. Pilar sug-
gests returning at sunset when the stone is tinged apricot and violet.
Scicli also doubles as a filming location for the beloved Inspector
Montalbano series. Thanks to the seductive scenery and sense of
small-town Sicily, Andrea Camilleri’s best-selling detective novels
make for equally engaging television. Shot largely around Ragusa and
Scicli, this romanticized portrait of Sicily features an astute, food-loving
detective. Sheepishly, we line up to see the police inspector’s office
in the town hall. The real mayor is resigned to sharing his office with
a phantom and his fans.
A rustic lunch fits the bill. At the cavelike La Grotta, the anchovy-
encrusted bruschetta and rich cannoli would have Inspector
Montalbano in raptures. Before parting, we walk off lunch in Gli Aromi,
a glorified herb garden where the scents of oregano, thyme, mint,
and basil end up in herbal cocktails that taste of Sicily.
Summer in Scicli means Sampieri beach, where a traditional
fishing village is framed by sand dunes. Today there’s no sign of
Montalbano’s men along the sweeping arc of sand. (The remnants of
an abandoned brickyard by the dunes often form a moonlit backdrop
to the latest murky murder.) The detective’s beachfront home lies just
west at Punta Secca, beyond the boat-lined Marina di Ragusa. In
Montalbano’s honor, the bar sells his favorite rice balls, arancini.
We stop for a delectable pistachio-and-ricotta ice cream at Blue
Moon in Donnalucata, a beach resort close to Sampieri. Sicilians are
convinced they invented ice cream, but they were certainly given a
helping hand by the eighth-century Arab settlers who used snow to
cool their fruit syrups. Superb Sicilian artisanal ice cream often makes
use of creamy carobs, almonds, and hazelnuts.
NOTO-WORTHY
The next afternoon we head to Noto. Widely considered the epitome
of Sicilian baroque style and architecture, the town is both blatantly
theatrical and deeply rational. Visitors praise its proportion, symmetry,
and sense of spectacle. Sicilians simply call it “a garden of stone.”
The palaces glow with a soft inner light, especially the peachy Palazzo
Villadorata, which evokes the sumptuous lifestyle of the nobility. The
ornate balconies are supported by a parade of snarling mythical mon-
sters, from griffins to dragons and centaurs. We retreat to Caffe Sicilia,
a celebrated pastry shop, where Pilar can’t resist sickeningly sweet
cassata, made with ricotta and candied fruit, and I fall for torrone,
nougat infused with honey and almonds.
Later, Pilar leaves me for dinner in Cantina Modica, an ancestral
palace that masquerades as a simple inn. In a typical gesture of
Sicilian generosity, the suave Baron Alessandro Modica sweeps me
(and a few other random guests) into his family museum upstairs. We
feast on estate wine and cheese while admiring the family furniture.
Legendary Sicilian hospitality is as cloyingly sweet as cassata.
Kindness can come in the form of a bunch of just-picked grapes or
the keys to a long-closed church — or a museum tour with a young
baron. Accept it all. Pilar’s final advice rings in my ears: “Flattery opens
most doors, and today’s invader is tomorrow’s treasured guest.”
Lisa Gerard-Sharp is an award-winning British travel writer and Italy and
France expert who contributes to National Geographic Traveller, CNN , and
The Telegraph. Lisa has covered Sicily from its dark days — interviewing
anti-Mafia judges — to the island’s confident resurgence in recent years.
62 INTERVAL WORLD Spring 2016 IntervalWorld.com
Situated near the golden sands of Sampieri beach,
Residence Marsa Sicla 2’s village-like structures are
surrounded by lemon trees. Guests can indulge in
thalassotherapy and other spa treatments, swim in
the expansive pool, and dine at the on-site
restaurant and wood oven–equipped pizzeria.
* This resort requires the purchase of a Half Board Meal Plan
payable at the resort.
AREA RESORT
Lisa Gerard-Sharp
To view all of the Sicily resorts in Interval’s network,
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A signature Sicilian sweet, pasta
reale is crafted of marzipan, shaped
and painted to resemble fresh fruit.