Ragusa to discover

Ragusa - Ragusa is a Sicilian provincial capital; rises 502 meters above sea level and has 72,000 inhabitants. The first settlements date back to the Bronze Age; in this period many cisterns were dug to collect water and for this reason Ragusa is called the city of 100 wells. Unfortunately the earthquake of 1693 destroyed most of the traces left by the previous settlements.

After the devastating earthquake the Ragusans did not find agreement on the reconstruction, and in fact two Ragusa arose: Ragusa Ibla where the old nobility remained (the sangiorgiari) and Ragusa Superiore or Alta where the new bourgeoisie (the sangiovannari) settled. In the upper part the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista stands out with its majestic facade rich in baroque carvings and sculptures; a little further on is Palazzo Bertini where you can admire the masks or masks found on the gables of the balconies. The most ancient center of the city is constituted by Ragusa Ibla; here stands the unmistakable blue dome of the bell tower of the church of Santa Maria dell'Itria, one of the most important places of worship in the ancient Jewish quarter, built between 1629 and 1639 by the order of the Knights of Malta. Among the delightful alleys of the historic center there are several noble palaces including Palazzo Cosentini with masks with grotesque and deformed faces. One of the few remains from the Byzantine era is Porta Vattiri. In Piazza Duomo there is the emblem of the Sicilian Baroque: San Giorgio, one of the most representative works of Rosario Gagliardi. In the easternmost part of the city is the luxuriant Hyblean public garden.