Day Trip to Noto

Many of my classmates and I began our second day in Siracusa with the sun. Waking up at 7am to gather on the rocky Mediterranean shore was well worth the view. 

After our early morning excursion we returned to the hotel to eat breakfast and get ready for the day. At 9 am we left the hotel to walk to our bus. On the way we passed by a shrine of an Italian saint. This is an example of little religion, how religion is practiced on a local level.

After boarding the bus, we drove to the Archeological Park of Cava Ispica. Here we viewed ancient cave dwellings and catacombs dating back to the third century. As a class we discussed the repurposing of these spaces to meet the needs of the changing cultures. For example, the gymnasium that dates back to Hellenistic-Roman times was originally used for military training, education of the young, and community meetings. We observed square cut outs that indicated that the gymnasium was later used for burials. We also inferred that people sought shelter from the sun in these spaces during the summer months when the Sicilian climate can become unbearable.

Across the street we toured the Cave Church of St. Mary that that dates back to the eleventh century A.D. In the church Christian frescos and a shrine to St. Mary can be observed. Like the shrine we saw before in Ortigia, this shrine is evidence of little religion, which is practiced in a local and less obvious way than big religion. The Christian Frescos are an example of big religion which is shown in a more apparent way. Our class also discussed how the different features inside each cave indicated its uses. For example, when circular pits are seen in the ground and soot stains are on the ceiling, we can infer that a fire pit was used in the space. 

Our next stop of the day was in Noto where we were served several courses of desert at Caffè Sicilia. Corrado Assenza, the owner and pastry chef of Caffè Sicilia explained the importance behind the freshness of his food. Not only does he ensure that fruit is local and picked in the peak of the season, he processes it using techniques that preserve its flavor. We were treated with multiple types of biscuits, cakes, cannoli, grenada, and gelato. Corrado stressed that he does not refer to his food as “Sicilian food” because he feels that it is too limiting in scope. Our class was able to sense his passion for pastry making through the inflection and style of speaking. It is truly inspiring to meet someone with such intensity for their career.

After returning to Siracusa with full stomachs we dispersed to shop and get dinner on our own. Our second day in Sicily was a success!

- Bailey Reutinger