Ortigia, Siracusa

The reconstructed towns in south-east Sicily, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, full of delightful back streets like this as well as splendid baroque palaces and churches, are a delightful surprise. I wasn't expecting so many towns, of such a size, and of such beauty, all with their own distinct character.

This is in the old part of Siracusa (Syracuse) called Ortigia, an island connected to the rest of the city by bridge, where virtually all the buildings are post-earthquake and include fashionable shops, restaurants and bars as well as the inevitable palaces, churches, and a huge marble-floored piazza in front of the cathedral.