Everything’s ready in Modica for the seventh edition of Chocobarocco, the chocolate festival running from Thursday to Tuesday, November 1.

Modica, one of the main baroque centres of Sicily and listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, is, together with Perugia and Turin, the Italian capital of chocolate making.

The recipe of Modica’s traditional chocolate goes back to the ancient Aztec civilisation and was eventually handed down to the Modicans by the Spaniards. This chocolate, in contrast to other versions that spread later throughout Europe, was never produced industrially and has remained unchanged through the centuries. Still today, many of the local chocolate-makers make chocolate with the same ancient technique and ingredients. Thanks to some local workshops, the chocolate of Modica has earned international prestige.

During the five-day festival, the main squares, streets and historic palaces host a range of activities dedicated not only to the local chocolate and sweet specialties but also to art and culture.

In Piazza Municipio, a mock Aztec pyramid will be set up and, above it, a big clepsydra will flow cocoa powder instead of sand.

Entertainment includes performances by artistes and musicians from the Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian worldwide famous entertainment company.

The Palazzo della Cultura will host a big chocolate sculpture representing the Italian peninsula to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Italian Unity. This scultpure will measure over 10 metres and weigh about 10 tons.

Guided excursions through the baroque attractions of Modica and the surrounding territory will be held – either on foot, by Vespa or on board the “baroque train” on a daily basis between 10.30 a.m. and 9 p.m.

www.chocobarocco.it