Modica was destroyed in 1693, rebuilt in a hurry, and the result is one of the most dramatic baroque towns in Europe. A great earthquake that January killed tens of thousands across south-eastern Sicily, and the towns of the Val di Noto rose again in a new style, with curved facades, carved balconies and grotesque stone faces looking down from the corners. UNESCO listed eight of them together in 2002, and Modica is one of the finest. It occupies two steep ridges and the gorge between them, and the houses climb up the sides in layers, so that a walk through the streets is mostly a matter of steps.
The church of San Giorgio stands at the top of a long flight of steps, a tall facade of golden limestone with a belfry rising from the middle, and the effect from the bottom of the stairs is theatrical. The cathedral of San Pietro, in the lower town, has its own staircase decorated with statues of the apostles. Modica is also famous for chocolate. The local method, passed down from the Spanish rulers who brought cacao from the Americas, grinds the beans cold with sugar, leaving a grainy, crumbly texture that is quite unlike the smooth bars of the north, and shops along the main street offer bars flavoured with chilli, cinnamon or orange. A local pastry, mpanatigghi, is filled with chocolate and spiced meat, and you should try one at least once.
The riding in the Iblei hills around the town is remarkable. The plateau is a landscape of dry stone walls, carob trees and honey-coloured limestone, with narrow lanes that wind between small fields and drop into steep valleys. Ragusa, eight kilometres away, has its own baroque old town, Ibla, and Scicli, a short ride south, was the setting for the TV detective Montalbano and has a fine baroque street. Surfaces vary, with potholes, loose gravel and occasional goats, and Sicilian drivers overtake with confidence. Spring is lovely, with wildflowers, and autumn is warm. Summer afternoons are extremely hot.
Modica has forty thousand people, so fuel and food are everywhere, and traffic in the lower town is thick. Park outside the old centre and walk. A granita with brioche for breakfast and a plate of pasta with ricotta for lunch make a proper day. The evening light on the golden stone is the best reward.