A welcome cocktail with Italian specialties will be held at the Municipal Theatre of Siracusa as an occasion for all participants to meet and interact with each other.

All guests will have the chance to live an entertaining networking event enjoying delicious food and drinks with music entertainment in the charming Ortea Palace Luxury Hotel, a magnificent building from 1920, known as “Palazzo delle Poste” in the historic centre of Syracuse, on the splendid Porto Piccolo of the island of Ortigia, where commensals will be immersed in Siracusa’s history while consuming a dinner with local specialties.

Siracusa is a window into the ancient history of the Mediterranean and Europe. Its vast archeological site, on the edge of the modern city, is a rare treasure of temples, amphitheatres and an ancient castle. The island of Ortygia, a labyrinth of charming ancient and medieval streets, was a center of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Judaic civilization. Physical evidence of these three cultures can still be seen today, making Ortygia a fascinating place to visit for anybody curious about the historic patrimony we have inherited from classical mythology, early Christianity and medieval Judaism.

Starting from here, in the morning participants will be guided to a tour on Mount Etna, which has been designated a Decade Volcano by the United Nations and it was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Participants will then have lunch at a typical Sicilian restaurant.

In the afternoon, the tour will be taken to Taormina.

The city was founded in the 1st century BC and has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its Ancient Theatre, probably of Roman date, faces Mount Etna and Taormina’s wonderful beaches, like the famous Isola Bella

The tour will begin at the Bellomo Museum, a medieval and modern art Gallery inaugurated in 1948 inside Palazzo Bellomo, in the historic center of Ortigia, next to the church of S. Benedetto and close to the Aretusa fountain and was inaugurated in 1948

Among the collections kept in the museum it is worth mentioning the two sarcophagi of the Governors of the Royal Chamber, Giovanni Çabastida and Giovanni Cardenas, dated 16^th century, and the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina dating back to 1474 and still preserved.

Participants will then be welcome to taste a typical delicious Sicilian granita at Piazza del Duomo.

To complete the tour, participants will be visiting the “Corrado Basile” Papyrus Museum.

The Museum, founded and managed by the International Institute of Papyrus, is located in the former Convent of Sant’Agostino in Ortigia. The “Corrado Basile” Museum is dedicated to promoting he study knoledge of the papyrus culture as well as the best conservation practices. The Museum supports the project “Conservation of papirys in Egypt”, carrying out various activities, including missions of conservative restoration of the papyrus of the Eyptian Museum in Cairo.

Departing from Siracusa with a private shuttle, participants will visit Ragusa in the morning.

After the devastating earthquake of 1693, it was decided to rebuild Ragusa on a higher, more even nearby ground. When this new planned town was built, local aristocrats didn’t want to move, and instead built themselves new palazzi on the ruins of the old town. So nowadays Ragusa is devided in two parts: Ibla, the older nucleus on its hilltop, and Ragusa Superiore, the more modern upper town.

In the afternoon, participants will reach Modica, famous for its chocolate.

Modica is situated in the dramatic landscape of the Monti Iblei, a range of high ground divided up by deep valleys and suprinsingly populous towns. Important in Medieval times, Modica was rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1693 and now boasts fine late-Baroque architecture as well as medieval old town.

The guided walk will begin in the wide and magnificent Piazza Duomo of Siracusa, on the highest point of Ortigia island, is the symbol of Baroque reconstruction of the city after the earthquake of 1693.
After having admired the Duomo (Cathedral) of Siracusa – erected on the ruins of an ancient Greek temple dedicated to the goddess Athena and later converted into a mosque, truly considered one of the finest examples of Sicilian Baroque style and since 2005 listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site – the tour will then lead guests to the charming Giudecca district – the ancient Jewish district.
The walk will then continue to the Puppet Theatre known as the ‘Opera dei Pupi’ to discover the history of a famous puppets artisan family and enjoy a Pupi show transporting guests through time in a magical atmosphere, narrating stories about French paladins, saints, and many local legends.

Private shuttle and guided tour through the city of Siracusa.

The visit will go from the St. John catacombs, to the archeological park of Neapolis, from the Greek theatre, to the latomie (rock caves that were used during the Roman Empire to imprison slaves and captives) and the Ear of Dionysus.

The best way to appreciate the Ortigia island, the real heart of Siracusa, is to just wander around. In its small dimensions (just 1km by 500m), the island is packed with over 2,500 years of history. The buildings cover a wide range of architectural styles that span from the Greek to the Roman period, from the Normans to the dazzling Spanish Baroque.

Restaurants, trattorias and bars abound, and it is especially nice to sit out on the western side in the late afternoon, warmed by the sun and with a view over the lagoon.

In Ortigia, participants will visit the Fountain of Arethusa, the Jewish Baths and the Temple of Apollo. The tour will end in a typical dinner.

The bus will arrive at Catania approximately at 10 am, and participants will be taken on a guided visit of the city.

Catania is the second largest city of Sicily. Founded in 8^th century BC, it was destroyed by catastrophic earthquakes in 1169 and 1693, and several volcanic eruptions from the neighbouring Mount Etna, the most violent of which was in 1669. The city was then rebuilt in Baroque, the style that nowadays characterizes its architecture.

Catania is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy.

Its old town, besides being one of the biggest examples of Baroque architecture in Italy, is a World Heritage Site, protected by UNESCO.

Lunch will be hosted at Avuciata Restaurant in the fish market of Catania.

The bus will take participants to the airport after lunch.

The bus will arrive at Noto approximately at 10 am, and participants will be taken on a guided visit of the city.

Noto is an amazing and charming city, the apotheosis of Baroque town planning and architecture.

Completely destroyed by the terrible 1693 earthquake, it was rebuilt from scratch on a new site, about 10km from the old centre.

Under the supervision of the Duke of Camastra, the Spanish Viceroy’s right-hand man, three architects, Labisi, Sinatra and Gagliardi, set to work, intent on creating a new town based firmly on Baroque ideals. The idea was to create a linear, perfectly proportioned urban centre whose parallel lines would provide myriad panoramas. The town was divided into three parts by three roads running from west to west, thus ensuring the constant attentions of the sun. At the top lived the nobility, in the middle the clergy, and at the bottom, “hoi polloi”.

A UNESCO Heritage site, Noto is not to be missed, even if baroque architecture is not your cup of tea. More than just a baroque town, it is a subliminal expression of originality, fantasy, obsession, and man’s resilience in the face of the overwhelming force of nature.

A typical lunch will be served with the famous Nero d’Avola wine.

After lunch, participants will be taken to the beautiful Villa Romana del Tellaro.

At 4 pm the bus will take participants to the airport.