Page 156 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sicily

154  SICIL Y AREA B Y AREA

7 Ragusa

This ancient city was founded as Hybla Heraia when the
Sicels moved into the interior to escape from the Greek
colonists. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is divided
into two communities: new Baroque Ragusa, built on the
plateau after the 1693 earthquake, and quiet, atmospheric
Ibla, which is linked to the modern city by a rocky crest.
A visit to Ragusa therefore involves two stages.

Exploring Ragusa devoted to the cultures that
The new town was designed have dominated the province of
to suit the needs of the Ragusa. The first section has
emerging 17th-century landed prehistoric finds from Modica,
gentry as opposed to the old Pantalica and Cava d’Ispica. The
feudal nobles, who preferred to second one is given over to
stay entrenched in old Ibla. It Kama rina, the Syracusan The Duomo of Ibla in the heart of the
was laid out on an octagonal subcolony founded on the old town
plan, the result of detailed banks of the Ippari river on a
planning following the coastal site not far from present- the Siculi cultures, followed by
earthquake of 1693. day Vittoria. Kamarina once an exhibit of Hellenistic finds –
The beauty of the landscape, enjoyed important trade links especially from Scornavacche,
the sandy beaches and the with ancient Ibla. Among the a very important trade and
Baroque and Art Nouveau displays here are the statue of a caravan centre – including an
architecture makes the whole warrior, the bronzes of Kamarina interesting reconstruction of a
area seem like an open-air and Attic vases, all recovered potter’s oven. The fifth section
stage. The famous TV series during the excavations at focuses on the Roman epoch,
Il Commissario Montalbano Kamarina, organized and while the last one illustrates
(Inspector Montalbano) sponsored by the Syracuse the growth of this area in the
showcases the sun-drenched Archaeological Office. The third Byzantine age, with finds from
province of Ragusa at its best. section of the museum features the ancient port of Caucana.
R Cathedral
Piazza San Giovanni. Open 8am–
noon, 4–7pm daily.
Ragusa’s splendid Cathedral
was built between 1706 and VIA ROMA C O R S O M A Z Z I N I
1760 in the middle of the new VIA M. LEGGIO VIA G.B. ODIERNA CORSO MAZZINI San
Francesco
all’Immacolata
town. It replaced a smaller V I A D E L M E R C A T O LARGO V I A C H I A R A M O N T E
building that had been hastily RAGUSA Cathedral VIA ECCE HOMO VIA DI STEFANO Duomo CAMERINA RAGUSA IBLA
erected after the earthquake (San Giovanni CORSO MAZZINI Chiesa del (San Giorgio) PZA. DEL VIA ORFANOTROFIO PIAZZA Giardini
DUOMO
Purgatorio
Battista)
of 1693. VIA MATTEOTTI PIAZZA PIAZZA Conversazione ODERNA VIA GIARDINO Iblei
Circolo di
The low and broad façade VIA G. CARTIA MATTEOTTI D.SOLARINO San CORSO XXV APRILE
is an excellent example of V I A S A N V I T O VIA XXIV MAGGIO CORSO DON MINZOMI VIA M. P A TERNO Giuseppe PIAZZA
POLA
CORSO VITTORIO VENETO
CORSO ITALIA
Sicilian Baroque, with a lovely VIA RAPISARDI Santa Maria Portale di
monumental portal and fine Museo VIA ROMA VIA SANT’ANNA delle Scale San Giorgio
sculptures of St John the Baptist, Archeologico V I A A V V O C A T O G IO V A N N I O T T A V I A N O
Ibleo
to whom the cathedral is
dedicated, the Virgin Mary and St Ponte
Nuovo
John the Evangelist. There is also Ponte dei
an impressive porticoed terrace Cappuccini Ponte Papa
Giovanni XXIII
and a massive cusped bell tower. PIAZZA N T O
DELLA
The ornate Baroque LIBERTA VIA MARASALA VIA MELI
interior has a Latin cross plan PIAZZA DEI
with two side aisles and fine CAPPUCCINI
stucco decoration. VIALE T. LENA VIA BOSCARINO V I A R I S O R G I M E
E Museo Archeologico Ibleo VIA L. DA VINCI VIA I. G. MIGLORISI
Via Natalelli. Tel 0932-622 963. Open Train VIA VITTORIO EMANUELE ORLANDO
9am–1:30pm, 4–7:30pm daily. & Station POPOLO
PIAZZA
The Archaeological Museum is
divided into six sections and is
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p204 and pp214–16
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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.4)
Date 25th April 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm