Our weekend begins in Messina, a city of ancient origins but of modern appearance, reconstructed to anti-seismic criteria following the devastating earthquake that razed it to the ground in 1908, similar to that of 1783 and numerous others over the course of its history. Founded by Greek settlers from Chalcis during the second half of the 8th century B.C. with the name of Zancle, it became a colony of great strategic and commercial importance , given its advantageous position over the strait between Sicily and Calabria. It reached the height of its glory during the period of the Swabians, while the Aragonese made it their capital. What remains of Norman art, destroyed or altered by remodelling, is found in the old Cathedral (originally 12th century) and by the contemporary basilica of Sant'Annunziata dei Catalani. The city also boasts an illustrious regional Museum, its archaeological section containing numerous relics from ancient Messina. In addition to it history and culture, this great urban centre is also important (like many Sicilian cities) for its culinary art, and especially for its sweets and desserts. In fact, before leaving Messina and heading towards the majestic Etna, we recommend a calory-filled pause, for example at the "Doddis" bakery to taste the typical pignoccata , an exquisite dessert in the form of a pine cone.

Not far from Messina is the Etna national park, which is certainly worth visiting. We start by heading towards the slopes of the volcano with a stop in Linguaglossa, where a beautiful secondary road exits the town and climbs up the mountain. The splendid fir forests soon give way to expanses of black lava. Flourishing on the slopes of Etna we find the only cultivation in Italy of pistachios, as is evident in the pastries concocted in this entire area that use these nuts either ground or chopped to make various kinds of biscuit. The classic local dessert is the "pistacchiata"or "fastucata": the pistachios are heated with a mixture of sugar, cinnamon and vanilla essence. The result is tasty tidbits that resemble nut brittle or nougat. To sample this delicacy, try the "L'Alhambra" confectioners, where there is no risk of disappointment. Towards late afternoon, leave Linguaglossa and head towards Acireale where we spend the night, stopping en route in Giarre, a village in an area of spectacular landscapes. From the main square you can admire the great volcano in all its majesty, and in the countryside you can find long rows of centuries-old trees, terraces constructed over entire generations, vineyards and fruit orchards that seem to give shape to the slope of Etna, a setting of plants that offers an enchanting choreography of colours. These lands are also the kingdoms of Sicilian gelato : between Giarre and Acireale lie the deepest roots of the traditional smooth, cold, creamy confection exported in the 18th century from Procopio dei Coltelli even to Paris.

In the evening we reach Acireale, a town of craftsmen and spas overlooking the Ionian Sea and immersed in lemon garden at the foot of Etna. In this part of Sicily, blessed by its climate and altitude, lemons flourish: the typical product, in fact, is lemon marmalade, also used in endless dessert recipes. After a tasty dinner at the "Panoramico" restaurant, we suggest a stroll through the centre of town. Here, an inevitable meeting point for those with a sweet tooth is Piazza del Duomo, brimming every evening with the sidewalk cafès serving all kinds of f ice cream and the classic "schiumoni" with creamy hazelnut chocolate, coffee, or strawberry toppings until the early hours. For accomodation there is an abundant choice and range of hotels in the city: from the hotel "Aloha d'Oro" to the "Perla Jonica", without forgetting "Il Limoneto" holiday farm, in an old manor surrounded by citrus groves and offering a splendid view of Etna and the Tyrrhenian Sea.

An early start from Acireale to head towards nearby Catania, the city of Etna. Having so often been betrayed by the volcano, the lava flows descending to within its walls, this city has an intense relationship with the mountain. To remind us there is the dark, characteristic colour of the monuments, houses and doors, often constructed fromlava stone. This important urban centre changed its appearance from one day to the next after the 1669 eruption of Etna and the 1693 earthquake. These two cataclysms forced the near complete reconstruction of the geographic centre of the city, where the Greeks had settled and the Normans had erected the first Cathedral. The town resorted to urbanistic precautions and more modern styles; it turned to the Baroque for which Catania is famous and of which here we get an initial sampling. Before a brief visit of this extraordinary city, we recommend the morning ritual of granita con brioche, a snack of flavoured ice and croissant that replaces breakfast and often lunch. The most famous bar is the Pasticceria "Savia" in Via Etnea where the same family has continued to excel in regional pastry and ice cream production for 103 years, and now even sell their products on the Internet. They are especially known for their cannoli with ricotta and pistachios, cassatas, i sweets made of almond paste, nougats and candied olives. After breakfast the first stop is in Piazza del Duomo, heart of the mediaeval city but now with a Baroque appearance, where you can admire the celebrated Fontana dell'Elefante, designed by Giovanni Battista Vaccarini, a famous Sicilian architect. The same architect also designed the façade of the Cathedral, which, as a result of the earthquake now only contains fragments of the original place of worship constructed by the Normans at the end of the 11th century.
As if to prove this is the most important church in the city, inside you will find the tomb of Vincenzo Bellini and the treasure of Sant'Agata, to whom the church is dedicated. Aligned with the church façade is Via Garibaldi, which ends in Piazza Mazzini, from here turn into Via Auteri, which leads to Castello Ursino, a "mark" par excellence of Emperor Frederick II of Swabia's presence here; the simple and rational interiors typical of Swabian architecture now serve as a setting for the Civic Museum with its impressive collection of artefacts ranging from Roman times to the 18th century.

In order to fully comprehend that it was a true urban planning intervention that guided the reconstruction of Catania, you should wander along certain streets that serve as a demonstration, beginning with the wide Via Vittorio Emanuele and continuing intoVia Crociferi, where if not for the Roman ruins or the Belliniano Museum, everything would reflect the overwhelming style of the city: 18th century Baroque. Via Vittorio Emanuele is almost certainly one of the main streets of the ancient settlement of Catania, an extremely long artery leading westwards from the sea, outlining the orientation of the growth of the city until the 20th century. Its appearance is therefore 18th century (the buildings along this road are fine examples of local Baroque style), but many of the monuments evoke the past of the city, such as the Roman theatre and the Odeon.
At the end of this road we join Via dei Crociferi, another subjected to post-earthquake reconstruction: this is the main rendezvous point in Catania, enhanced by the façades of churches and convents with pure 18th century Baroque lines. Another main artery of Catania is Via Etnea, much loved by the 19th century bourgeoisie and one of the most elegant of the city. This street was the historic home of "Caviezel", a 19th century shop owned by Swiss immigrants now transferred to Via Cervignano: famous for their "bestsellers": cassata gelata, fetta di cedro, cannolo gelato, and coffee mousse. Where the rectilinear road of Via Etnea is interrupted byPiazza Stesicoro, there is another landmark of the Roman past. On the left you will recognise the Amphitheatre, completed in the 2nd century on lava stone foundations. Then Via Cappuccini begins and continues to a corner of Catania where everything evokes the patron saint of the city. The wild olive tree that flourishes in the centre of Piazza Santo Carcere and the nearby Church of Sant'Agata al Santo Carcere, a place of worship of 15th century origin with 18th century remodelling: the relics enclosed in the showcases are of the Roman martyr who was apparently locked in a room under the church before she was tortured. Still following Via Cappuccini, we reach Via Santa Maddalena later becoming Via Tomaselli, with Villa Bellini on the right, one of the city parks where visitors to the monuments of Catania can relax in the shade of Mediterranean and exotic plants. After this intense day in Catania, we depart in late afternoon for Sortino, a town in the province of Syracuse, on the eastern slope of the Iblei Mountains, where the necropolis of Pantalica is of particular interest.

Spend the evening and overnight in Sortino, a town inland from Syracuse famous for its honey production. This is mostly thyme honey, recognized and appreciated since time immemorial and lauded in fragments of poetry by Virgil, Ovid, and Theocritus. The botanical name of the plant used is Thymus capitatus, growing in arid, rocky places and flourishing in the caverns of the Iblei. This is an aromatic herb from which bees produce a fragrant and dense honey called satru, collected between July and August. Other types of honey typical to this territory are zagara (orange blossom), collected between May and June, and that made from carobs.

On this final day of the weekend, leave Sortino and head towards Syracuse, framed by its
picturesque natural port, closed to the east by the island of Ortigia (the oldest centre) and behind by the Epipoli highlands. Considered one of the most important archaeological centres of Magna Graecia, it preserves its glorious past in every corner of the city: the Cathedral with its Baroque façade rises on the peristyle of the Doric temple to Athena; in Piazza Pancali you will find the Temple of Apollo with remains of a Doric sanctuary from the beginning of the 6th century B.C.; in the Neapolis district you can observe the remains of the
Greek theatre, Roman amphitheatre and the great altar of Gerone; in the same area you will find the grotto of the Cordari, the most famous of prisons. Other examples of archaelogical treasures of Syracuse can be admired at the "Paolo Orsi" Regional Archaeological Museum, the largest in all of Sicily. Late morning, take a break and treat yourself to a snack that has to include some local delicacy. Even in this city, like most in this region, culinary tradition maintains a high profile. The best known is "cuccìa" and is a "devotional" dish of Syracuse commonly found in all of western Sicily. Its origins are certainly Arabic. Legend has it that one day during a famine, following hte martyrdom of Santa Lucia, some ships arrived unexpectedly in the port of Syracuse and left a providential load of grain. The date was December 13th. Since then, on this day named after Santa Lucia, the population of Syracuse prepare a cake of grain with cream of ricotta, candied marrow, vanilla, and orange blossom honey. The "cuccìa" can be also be found in local pastry shops all year round, together with the characteristic "cotognata", a dense jam of quince apples made in typical ceramic moulds from Caltagirone,and an enormous selection of bite-size almond paste delicacies . A very particular yet quite common confection from Syracuse is the "cubbaita", a soft, honey nougat with sesame seeds and chopped almonds that can be traced back to ancient times. The name is certainly Arabic: along the North African coast, from Algeria to Egypt, there is a similar recipe called "qubbayt".

After lunch, we continue to Noto,an ancient town of noble cultural traditions, rich in religious and civic monuments, defined as "the Rock Garden" by art critic Cesare Brandi. Noto is recognised as the Baroque capital of Sicily. A unique Baroque style that captures and reflects the light everywhere: in the palaces, churches, convents, monasteries, in the scenographic flights of steps, sacred aedicules, hidden roads and more modest lanes. The entrance to the historic district is via the Porta Reale or "Ferdinandea" gate, in pure 19th century style, beyond which the extraordinary main artery of the city extends: Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Following the avenue you will come across the main squares. The first is Piazza Immacolata, where the church of San Francesco all'Immaccolata rises at the top of three ramps of splendid steps, along with its adjacent convent designed by architects Gagliardi and Sinatra. Continuing along the avenue, on the left almost directly across from the Basilica del Santissimo Salvatore, rises the Church of Santa Chiara by Gagliardi. Now you are in the heart of the Baroque city: the maioris ecclesiae area, the largest square, one of the most beautiful in Italy called Piazza del Municipio is framed by the palaces of inestimable architectural interest. The Cathedral stands at the top of a monumental staircase and dominates the splendid square below. From Piazza Municipio, Via Nicolaci suddenly opens on the right: here the scenographic effect produced by the Baroque architecture reaches its climax; here stands one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, Palazzo Nicolaci of the Prince of Villadorata. Yet Noto has more to offer than grandiose examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture: the gastronomic symbol of Noto is the almond vastly cultivated in the area. As a result, Noto is famous for the preparation of "almond paste", obtained simply by chopping raw almonds very finely and mixing them with sugar and a little water to make a homogeneous and spreadable paste. In this way the aroma of the almonds is optimally enhanced. The product is used to enrich tarts, cakes, creams and much more. During the summer almond paste is diluted with cold water to make a thirst quenching almond milk. In Noto the most popular patisserie is the "Caffè Sicilia", where a laboratory develops sophisticated samples of master Sicilian pastries shipped all over the world.

For dinner we head for Modica, a town in the province of Ragusa. "..a theatre this town was, a proscenium in pink stone, a festival of wonders. And how fragrant was the jasmine as evening fell...". These words by the poet Gesualdo Bufalino capture the atmosphere of Modica. Among the most picturesque towns of Sicily, it is located in the southern area of the Iblei Mountains and is subdivided into two areas: Modica Alta, whose buildings almost seem to climb the mountainside, and Modica Bassa, down in the valley, where the two rivers Ianni Mauro and Pozzo dei Pruni once flowed and were then covered due to continuous flooding. Today in their place is Corso Umberto, the main street of the town. The most striking aspect is its late Baroque style, with origins rooted almost entirely in the post-earthquake era (1693). In this town you can taste a kind of chocolate, similar to that discovered by the Spanish when they landed in Mexico, at the Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, where you will find extraordinary bars of Modica chocolate. The procedure was introduced by the Spaniards during their domination of Sicily and has never changed. The cocoa beans are ground into a flour, mixed with cooked corn paste and blended with vanilla and cinnamon until perfectly blended with the cocoa butter. Modica chocolate is also used in the filling for mpanatigghi", unusual pastries made of shortbread with oven-baked beef sirloin/B>, chopped and mixed with the melted chocolate, chopped almonds, sugar, eggs, and cloves. For dinner you could always try the "Fattoria delle Torri", while top quality overnight accommodation can be found at the Hotel Bristol.