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Visit Ragusa
Ragusa is a town in south-east Sicily. It is one of the 'Val di Noto' towns substantially damaged by the 1693 earthquake and rebuilt in baroque style, and now together listed as a world heritage site. As with many Sicilian towns, the churches are the most important monuments in Ragusa.
The older part of the town is called Ragusa Ibla and the newer part is Ragusa Superiore, the two parts being separated by the Ponti Ravine.
The city tour of Ragusa can begin with the Basilica of San Giorgio, one of the patron saints of Ragusa Ibla (the other is St. John), and a typical example of Sicilian Baroque. The church was begun in 1738 and completed in 1775; it was designed by Rosario Gagliardi (1698-1762), and was built on the ruins of an earlier temple. It presents a façade divided into three parts by columns and other decorative motifs. The central part is characterized by a dome, built in 1820, more than 40 meters high and supported by 16 double columns. The interior has a nave and Latin cross; in the nave stand 13 stained glass windows representing the martyrdom of St. George and some valuable paintings such as the “S. Giorgio” by Dario Querci (1831-1918), “S. Gaudenzia” by Francesco S. Manno (1754-1831), “St. George” by G. Tresca (1710-1795), “The Guardian Angel”, “Our Lady of the Rosary”, “Mary Magdalene de 'Pazzi”, by Vito D’Anna (1718-1769).
The devotion to St. George was brought here by the Normans, and an ancient church was built in XII-XIII century, which was almost destroyed in 1693 except the portal of St. George which survived the earthquake. The portal consists of a pointed arch stone of pink limestone, of Gothic-Catalan style, decorated with carvings depicting "St. George on horseback slaying the dragon." Above the arch the eagle Aragonese is visible. Another church of great artistic value is “Santa Maria della Scala”, built in Norman times and rebuilt after the earthquake. The Church has three naves and keeps the "Death of the Virgin," a polychrome terracotta high-relief by the Gagini’s School (16th century).
In the “Piazza Pola” is the Church of St. Joseph, attributed to Gagliardi, with a single nave, rich in stucco and Baroque works. Nearby is the entrance to the " lbleo Garden", which reflects the taste the Italian and English style.
Another building worth visiting is the Cathedral of San Giovanni, in Ragusa Superiore, built between 1706 and 1760. It has a Baroque façade lavishly decorated with a bell tower with spire. Inside note the stucco decorations of the chapels of the 19th century. It retains some paintings by the local painter Salvatore Cascone (20th century).
Moving from Ragusa to Santa Croce Camerina, we can reach the Castle of Donnafugata. It owes its name to a word of Arabic origin that means 'source of health', from the Arabic "As-Ayn Iafaiat". The exterior is of white stone, with a large façade of Venetian Gothic architecture. There are eight arched balconies and a large terrace below. The building consists of over 100 rooms. Among the most important rooms are the salon with walls adorned by coats of arms of the most important families of Sicily, the hall of mirrors with elaborate draperies, alternating with mirrors lining the walls, the art gallery, the guest, the music room, and the library. The castle is surrounded by a large park built by baron Corrado Arezzo (1824-1895). Inside the park, several buildings have been built as a temple and a maze.
Ragusa palaces
The Baroque style of Ragusa is also visible in the ancient palaces and villas dating from the 18th-19th centuries. The Palazzo Cosentini deserves special attention: built in the 18th century, it is characterized by balconies carved with allegorical figures. The Bertini palace is famous for the three masks present in the vaults of the windows, the three great heads portraying typical figures of the Baroque era (a beggar, a merchant and a nobleman). These are accompanied by other important buildings as the Zacco, Schininà, Sortino-Trono, Nicastro and Battaglia Palaces.
Other Ragusa highlights and information
Troglodyte caves: the province of Ragusa was a land of ancient settlement, with the city at the heart of the archaeological Iblea area. This was typified by troglodytes - cites carved into the rock and characterized by winding paths, ramps and steps cut into the rock. The areas to be visited are those of Fontana Nuova (Marina di Ragusa), Kamarina, which was an important sub-colony of Syracuse, Monte Arcibessi of Kaukana, Hybla Heraea in Ragusa Ibla, the Caves of Trebacche and Castiglione Ragusa.
Nature: For nature lovers there are some highlights of particular interest, such as the mouth of the river Irminio, a place full of plants and animals.
Seaside resorts: for lovers of the sea there is Marina di Ragusa, one of the best equipped and most famous seaside resorts of the south-eastern Sicily,
Local Ragusa cuisine: in addition to the sand and sunbathing, tourists can also enjoy local cuisine where fish and seafood constitutes the principal feature of an ancient culinary tradition, such as the fish fillet (grouper or red snapper), shrimp, prawns, cockles, mussels, clams, chopped capers and anchovies in oil.
See also Ragusa history and etymology.
See the the Sicily travel guide for more places to visit in the same region as Ragusa.