Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista: Self-Guided Audio Tours

Explore the little Sicilian city overhung by churches and monasteries on high cliffs, guided by your own in-app audio tour! Scicli's Baroque architecture is a feast for the eyes. This self-guided audio tour will lead you through the stunning facades and ornate details, painting a vivid picture of the talented artisans who left their mark on this UNESCO World Heritage-listed town. The tour starts in the heart of the city centre – Piazza Italia – and takes you through the cobbled streets, the charming piazzas with beautiful churches and palaces, which will transport you back in time. Unravel the secrets of Scicli's ancient origins, from its captivating past as an Arab settlement to its illustrious Baroque architecture. The tour finishes at the the Church of Santa Maria of the Consolation in one of the most characteristic districts of the city characterized by narrow streets, stairways and open spaces with wonderful views.

This self-guided audio walking tour explores the Baroque heart of Scicli and is ideal for travelers who enjoy historic streets, churches, noble palaces, and layered Sicilian cityscapes. It is designed for a first visit, with clear narration that helps you notice what rises in front of you: honey-colored stone, curling balconies, quiet lanes, and churches set against steep rocky slopes. Your route begins in the Centro storico di Scicli, where the town’s UNESCO-listed Baroque character is immediately visible in facades, stairways, and palaces shaped by rebuilding after the 1693 earthquake. From there, you move through the old center to Mater Ecclesia and up toward the Church of Saint Matthew on the hill, then back into town to St. Bartholomew's Church, Palazzo Beneventano, Villa Penna, the Church of Saint John Evangelist, Palazzo Spadaro, Santa Teresa, Madonna del Carmine, and Santa Maria della Consolazione. The walk ends at Chiesa di Santa Maria La Nova - Santuario di Maria Santissima della Pietà. Along the way, the most memorable moments come from looking up at masks and wrought-iron balconies on Palazzo Beneventano, standing before grand church fronts cut from pale stone, and catching wide views over rooftops, domes, and the folds of the three valleys that cradle Scicli.