To be the mayor of Noto is not such a terrible life. To my mind, this little city in southeastern Sicily is one of the most enchanting in all of Europe. Along its main drag, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, stands one gorgeous building after another, built in the grand, 17th-century Baroque style. The whole place looks like a movie set (a steamy episode of The White Lotus was filmed there). Strolling around, gazing up at the carved limestone façades and wrought-iron balconies made me think: Wait, this is exactly what all those fancy buildings I've seen my entire life-the Versace mansion in Miami, the Odesa opera house-are trying to imitate.
On my recent visit, I asked the mayor, Corrado Figura, to explain Noto's beauty. "It all goes back to the earthquake of 1693," he said from his office in what has to be one of the most splendid city halls, set in a former palazzo. "After that, Noto's people decided to build a new city. They wanted the help of the most important architects of the time. It was all done in a uniform style, the Baroque style."
"The result," he said, leaning proudly back in a leather chair so old it creaked, "is that we're sui generis"-one of a kind. "And we haven't lost our identity," he added. "If you pay attention to your past, you can actually feel it."
Tourism has been booming in Sicily, even before the The White Lotus prompted a major upswing in visits to the island-specifically to the town of Taormina, where the second season was set. Compared with its cousins Taormina and Siracusa, Noto is more intoxicating and more beautiful, but at the same time more real. It has not yet been overrun by the cruise ships, tour buses, and designer stores that can make a destination feel like an airport departures area.
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