Sicilian high baroque in the haunted house

by Silva Wischeropp

I discovered this architectural window magic in the early evening hours of 25 April 2012 in the Sicilian baroque city of Noto during my Easter trip. The fairytale-like photo in this abandoned haunted house was taken with the Nikon D90.

Noto is actually still a real insider tip, a quiet, idyllic town with many baroque-style buildings worth seeing. Before the small town became a World Heritage Site, Noto was largely unknown. Since then, the town has increasingly been discovered by celebrities from the worlds of art and entertainment.
Even the approach is an experience, through shady avenues of lemon trees, olive groves and almond trees you reach the town of Noto, situated on a gentle slope.
After an earthquake razed Noto to the ground in 1693, the town was rebuilt in a beautiful Baroque style. A few ruins on the Alveria hill still remind us of the place before the earthquake.

In 2012, the towns of the Val di Noto were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
It is very pleasant to stroll through the cosy streets with the honey-coloured facades of churches, monasteries and noble palaces of the nobility. Your gaze is automatically drawn upwards to the decorations and statues, the bulbous balconies with their wrought-iron grilles and the majestic façades.