WHAT TO SEE IN RAGUSA?

Itineraries in Ragusa

1) Ragusa Ibla

Ragusa is called the "city of bridges" because of the presence of three very picturesque and historically valuable structures. In 1693 a devastating earthquake caused the almost total destruction of the entire city, the reconstruction, which took place in the 18th century, divided it into two large districts: on the one hand Upper Ragusa, located on the plateau, and on the other Ragusa Ibla, which arose from the ruins of the ancient city and was rebuilt according to the ancient medieval layout. The architectural masterpieces built after the earthquake, along with all those in the Val di Noto, were declared a world heritage site in 2002 by the 'UNESCO. Ragusa is one of the most important places for the presence of Baroque art testimonies, such as its churches and 18th-century palaces. Ragusa Ibla is the oldest district of the historic center of Ragusa, also called only Ibla is located in the eastern part of the city, above a hill. The ancient city contains more than fifty churches and numerous Baroque palaces. The Cathedral of San Giorgio is the highest expression of Baroque in the Val di Noto. Its location at the end of a high flight of steps and its position oblique to the square below accentuate its grandeur. Above the side doors are preserved the two simulacra that are carried in procession through the streets during the patronal feast of St. George. The windows of the nave are closed by stained glass, artistically historiated. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, is among the largest churches in Sicily: it has a majestic facade, rich in carvings and sculptures, is divided into five parties by large columns, on the left side stands the bell tower that rises more than 50 meters.

2) The Hyblaean Garden

In the easternmost part of Ragusa Ibla, there is the Hyblean Garden, and there are also the excavations of an ancient city that several historians say can be identified with Hybla Heraia. Standing on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Irminio valley, the entrance consists of a magnificent avenue lined with numerous palm trees, is very well maintained and adorned with well-sculpted benches, columns with stone vases carved in different shapes and an elegant balcony with limestone fencing. Imposing in the center of the villa is the monument to the fallen soldiers of the Great War. Inside are the Church of St. Vincent Ferreri, the Church of St. James, and the Church of the Capuchins.

3) Quarry of Ispica

Cava Ispica is a river valley that for 13 km incises the Hyblean plateau, between the towns of Modica and Ispica. The valley, immersed in typical Mediterranean scrub vegetation, holds prehistoric necropolis, Christian catacombs, rock oratories, monastic hermitages and inhabited nuclei of various types that followed one another uninterruptedly from Prehistory until at least the 14th century. In the terminal area of the valley in the territory of Ispica, close to the town, the site takes the name "Parco Forza." In the Archaeological Park of Cava Ispica there are numerous catacombs, the best known of which is called Larderia: the largest in Sicily, after that of S. Giovanni in Syracuse. It is located at the northern end of Cava Ispica and is part of a large burial complex. The entrance to the catacomb leads into a large vestibule, from which three corridors branch off. It abounds in arcosols and numerous massive sarcophagi in adjoining niches, streamlined by small columns and small round-arched or vaguely ogival windows. These raised sarcophagus tombs constitute the most salient feature of the entire hypogeum. The site also includes the rock church of Santa Maria alla Cava where traces of a crucifixion fresco with a Latin caption are clearly visible. The Castello Siculo is such a monumental and complex work that it is hard to imagine that it could have been the work of a single generation. It is a limestone wall, thirty meters high, housing a real fortress. The uniqueness of the castle lies above all in the unusual architecture of its four floors, connected by internal staircases still visible, with recesses for climbing, and by external staircases.

4) Donnafugata Castle

Donnafugata Castle is located in the territory of the municipality of Ragusa, about 15 kilometers from the city. The present building, contrary to what the name might suggest, is a sumptuous aristocratic residence from the late 1800s. From the moment of arrival, the castle reveals its sumptuousness: the building covers an area of more than 7500 square meters on 3 floors in neo-Gothic style, crowned by two side towers welcomes visitors. The castle, divided into three floors, has more than 120 rooms of which about 20 are accessible to visitors today; it is accessed by a grand monumental stone-pitch staircase. Visiting the rooms, which still contain the original furnishings and furniture of the time, almost feels like stepping into the past, into the era of the last "gattopardi." Surrounding the castle is a large and monumental 8-hectare park. It counted more than 1,500 plant species and various "distractions" that were meant to cheer and entertain the guests, such as the circular temple, the coffee house, some artificial "caves" equipped with fake stalactites or the peculiar stone labyrinth built in the typical dry-stone masonry of Ragusa. Very peculiar is the fact that in the park there are jokes that the baron had arranged to cheer up the otherwise boring days at the castle. One example: a sprinkler was placed on a seat, which would go into operation when a guest sat on it. Another prank by the prankster baron was triggered when they opened a particular chapel located at the end of the grounds - a ragtag monk would come out of it, frightening the victim of the prank.

5) Modica

Modica is a city of Neolithic origin; until the 19th century it was the capital of a county that exerted a vast political, economic, and cultural influence. Its historic center, rebuilt following the devastating 1693 earthquake, is one of the most significant examples of late Baroque architecture. For its masterpieces, the city was included in 2002, along with several towns in the Val di Noto, on the World Heritage List of the 'UNESCO. It is also known for the preparation of the typical chocolate, made following an ancient Aztec recipe, from which the Modican recipe is derived. The urban fabric, lying on the flanks of the two valleys and on the plateaus of the hills above, is an intrigue of small houses, narrow streets and long stairways, which cannot fail to recall the medieval layout of the historic center, all wrapped around the spur of the Pizzo hill, on which rested the Castle: a fortified military garrison and prison, the residence of the Counts. The Cathedral of San Giorgio in Modica is often referred to and reported as a symbolic monument of the Sicilian Baroque typical of this end of Italy. The present facade was built by modifying, with partial demolitions, the pre-existing 17th-century one. A scenic staircase of 164 steps, leads to the temple's five portals, which serve as a prelude to the church's five interior naves, which has a basilican Latin cross plan and three apses after the transept. The interior of the church has five naves, with 22 columns topped by Corinthian capitals. The temple is dedicated to the martyrs St. George and St. Hippolytus.

6) Scicli

Scicli is a monumental Baroque town in the shape of a sublime living nativity scene, in 2002 its historic center was awarded the title of World Heritage Site by the 'UNESCO, along with seven other municipalities on the list of Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto. Among its main monuments is the Church of San Matteo: a symbol of Scicli and the city's oldest ecclesiastical building, located on San Matteo Hill in the old town. The Beneventano Palace was called the most beautiful Baroque palace in Sicily; it is located on the slopes of San Matteo Hill in a barycentric position between the ancient fortified citadel located at the top of the hill and the modern 18th-century town lying in the two canyons of Santa Maria La Nova and San Bartolomeo. Characteristic masks adorn the two monumental elevations linked by a remarkable cantonal. At the top of this stands the crowned coat of arms of the Beneventanos decorated with two Moors' heads, now one of the symbols of the City. The territory of Scicli has the most extensive coastline of all the municipalities in the province of Ragusa. The coastal strip from Pozzallo to Marina di Ragusa is heavily anthropized although it preserves in several places unspoiled and wild areas.

7) House of Montalbano and Punta Secca

Punta Secca is a hamlet of Santa Croce Camerina. The hamlet owes its recent popularity to the fact that one of the film sets of the television series Il commissario Montalbano was set here. Salvo Montalbano's house is in fact located, in the series, in a small villa in the village square.

8) Monterosso Almo

Monterosso Almo is 28 kilometers from Ragusa and is one of three mountain municipalities in the province, rising in the Monti Iblei a few kilometers from the summit of Monte Lauro. The basilica of St. John the Baptist is the town's main place of interest, enriched with the statue of St. Mary of Pericoli.

9) Sampieri

Sampieri is a seaside hamlet in the municipality of Scicli, in the province of Ragusa. A well-known seaside resort, an ancient and charming fishing village with a tiny, romantic historic center of stone houses and cobbled streets, it is situated along a spur of limestone rock, sandwiched between two beaches of fine golden sand. At the eastern end of the township's major beach and at the top of a cliff about 5 m high, the Penna Furnace dominates the coastal landscape. The factory produced bricks that were exported to many Mediterranean countries, the cessation of the factory's activity occurred during the night of January 26, 1924, due to an arson fire that destroyed it in a few hours.

10) Donnalucata

Donnalucata is a seaside hamlet in the municipality of Scicli; here in 1091, Count Roger of Altavilla defeated the Saracens, according to a religious legend, thanks to the intervention of Our Lady, later called Madonna delle Milizie, and a shrine was built in that place. Around the shrine and a coastal tower the village developed over the centuries. The coast is characterized by wide beaches of fine golden sand, which in summer become a destination for crowds of vacationers.

11. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Built after the devastating earthquake of 1693, Ragusa Superiore rose on the plateau as the new administrative and modern heart of the city, in contrast to the ancient Ragusa Ibla. Wide streets, noble palaces, and monumental churches still define its urban fabric. At the center stands the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, dedicated to the city’s patron saint. The original church near the medieval castle was almost entirely destroyed by the quake. Reconstruction began in 1694 in the “Patro” district, with a small temporary church soon replaced by the grand building whose construction started in 1718. The present façade is a masterpiece of Iblean Baroque, with two tiers of columns, pilasters, statues, and an ornate central portal. A wide forecourt enclosed by a stone balustrade opens before it, while a 50-meter-high bell tower rises on the left. Inside, the Latin-cross plan reveals gilded capitals, Rococo stuccoes by the Gianforma brothers, and large 18th-century canvases. The dome, built in 1783, was later covered in copper, and in the 19th century the floors, side altars, and the magnificent Serassi organ were added. Since 1950, with the creation of the Diocese of Ragusa, the church has been the city’s Cathedral and the symbolic heart of the “new” Ragusa.

12) Marina di Ragusa

Once known as Mazzareddi, Marina di Ragusa is today one of the liveliest seaside resorts of southeastern Sicily. Facing the Channel of Malta, about 24 km from Ragusa, it is the beating heart of summer holidays, with a seasonal population that soars to over 60,000. Its ancient name, Mazzarelli, derives from the Arabic Marsa A’Rillah (“small landing”), recalling its maritime origins. The Celestre Tower was built here between the 16th and 17th centuries to defend the coast, around which a small settlement developed. The area remained sparsely populated until the 18th century, when the marshes of the Irminio river mouth were reclaimed. The real growth came in the 19th century, when Marina became an important hub for exporting pitchstone and carobs, highly sought after by English traders. In 1928, under Fascism, the town was officially renamed Marina di Ragusa, replacing its historic name to emphasize its ties with Ragusa and its tourist potential. Today it is a modern resort with long golden beaches stretching between the Irminio River Reserve and the new marina. Along the Andrea Doria and Mediterraneo seafronts, beach clubs, restaurants, bars, and nightlife venues attract visitors from all over the world. Awarded the Blue Flag several times, Marina di Ragusa combines crystalline waters, sandy beaches, and a lively atmosphere, making it one of the most beloved destinations on the Iblean coast.

13) Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Ispica

Ispica, in southeastern Sicily, is renowned for its scenic Cava d’Ispica and rich Baroque heritage. Among its treasures, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore stands out, built after the 1693 earthquake to house the statue of the Christ at the Column, miraculously saved from the ruins of the old church. Expanded in the 18th century with contributions by architects Rosario Gagliardi and Vincenzo Sinatra, it features a majestic semicircular colonnade inspired by St. Peter’s Square. Inside, the three naves display an extraordinary decorative program: Olivio Sozzi’s frescoes, masterpieces of Sicilian Baroque, depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments, culminating in the Triumph of Faith and the Triumph of the Cross. Richly decorated chapels hold devotional works beloved by locals, such as those dedicated to the Assumption and the Sorrowful Virgin. Declared a national monument in 1908, the basilica is not only Ispica’s main place of worship but also a symbol of the city’s rebirth after the earthquake and a jewel of Iblean Baroque.

14) Pozzallo

Pozzallo, overlooking the southeastern coast of Sicily, is a lively seaside town combining natural beauty, history, and hospitality. Its wide golden beaches and crystal-clear waters have earned it multiple Blue Flag awards, confirming the quality of both environment and services. Among the most popular is the long Santa Maria del Focallo beach, a peaceful oasis perfect for relaxation. Known as the “terrace over the Mediterranean,” Pozzallo is ideal not only for swimming and sunbathing but also for water sports: its shallow seabeds and steady winds attract windsurfing and kitesurfing enthusiasts. The town’s historic center recalls its origins as a trading hub. The Cabrera Tower, built in the 15th century to protect against corsair raids and later damaged by the 1693 earthquake, remains a striking landmark on the waterfront. Other highlights include the Church of Santa Maria di Portosalvo, closely tied to sailors’ devotion, and Villa Tedeschi, a historic noble residence that now houses the municipal library. With its blend of beaches, culture, and tradition, Pozzallo offers visitors a complete experience, always with its gaze turned toward the Mediterranean horizon.

15) Chiaramonte Gulfi

Chiaramonte Gulfi, nestled in the Iblei Mountains, is an elegant and charming town, famous for its panoramic location that embraces a vast horizon: from Mount Etna to the Gulf of Gela. It is no coincidence that it is known as the “Balcony of Sicily.” Founded by the Norman count Manfredi I Chiaramonte, it boasts a historic center that surprises visitors with its wealth of churches, palaces, and characteristic alleys, but above all with its incredible concentration of museums: eight in total, all carefully managed by the Pro Loco, which make Chiaramonte a small cultural gem of the Val di Noto. At the entrance to the town stands the Sanctuary of Maria Santissima di Gulfi, with its venerated marble statue of the Madonna, the protagonist of a solemn procession celebrated every year on the Sunday after Easter, recently recognized as UNESCO intangible heritage. In the heart of the historic center, in Piazza Duomo, stands the Mother Church, next to which are the Museum of Historical and Military Relics and the Museum of Sacred Art, which houses liturgical vestments, silverware, and an impressive mechanical nativity scene. Among the most fascinating buildings is the 18th-century Palazzo Montesano, which houses numerous exhibition spaces: from the Oil Museum, with ancient equipment related to the production of Monti Iblei DOP oil, to the Liberty House Museum, the Ornithological Museum, the Museum of Ethnic Musical Instruments, and the precious Giovanni De Vita Art Gallery. The Antonino Di Vita Archaeological Museum and the “Sotie di Legno” cabinetmaking collection are also located here. Strolling through the oldest alleys, you will come across the Arco dell'Annunziata and the Church of San Giovanni Battista, linked to the Knights of Malta. Not far away, the Museum of Sicilian Embroidery and Parade preserves over 200 finely decorated artifacts, testimony to a textile art handed down by the local women. The many churches of the village—San Vito, San Giuseppe, San Filippo, Santa Maria del Gesù—and the Town Hall, with its Art Nouveau façade and scenic fountain, complete the tour. But the most exciting surprise is found in the Villa Comunale: from the belvedere, the view opens up onto a boundless panorama, providing yet another confirmation of how Chiaramonte Gulfi is truly the “city of a thousand surprises.”

16) Giarratana

Giarratana, a small village in the Iblei Mountains with just over 3,000 inhabitants, is the smallest municipality in the province of Ragusa, but it boasts a thousand-year history and an archaeological heritage of great interest. Nestled on the slopes of Mount Lauro, the town enjoys a mild climate, protected by a ring of hills and crossed by streams that flow into the Irminio River. The origins of the territory date back to the second millennium BC, with traces of the Sicilians and important Greek remains in nearby Casmene, a Syracusan colony founded in 644 BC, characterized by an orderly urban layout and imposing city walls. A late imperial villa with splendid mosaics remains from the Roman era, while in the Calaforno district there is an exceptional prehistoric hypogeum with over 30 rooms, one of the most important necropolises on the island. The medieval village, of which only ruins remain today in the Terravecchia area, was fortified by the Normans and ruled over the centuries by noble feudal families, until it became part of the County of Modica. After the devastating earthquake of 1693, which destroyed the ancient town, Giarratana was rebuilt further south, on the current hill, giving rise to a new urban layout with its main churches at the center: the Basilica of Sant'Antonio Abate, the Church of San Bartolomeo—keeper of the relics of the patron saint Ilaria—and the Mother Church of the Annunziata, which preserves important works of sacred art. Other places worth visiting include the ruins of the Castello dei Settimo, built in 1703, the ‘ù Cuozzu’ open-air museum, which documents the ancient roots of the town, and the numerous archaeological sites and hypogea scattered throughout the surrounding countryside. Today, Giarratana is also known for its food and wine traditions, first and foremost the Giarratana onion, with its sweet and delicate flavor, which has become a symbol of the community's identity. Strolling through its narrow streets, amid ancient memories and village atmospheres, means immersing yourself in an authentic Sicily, where millennial history coexists with the authenticity of local traditions.

17) Gonfalone Quarry

The Cava Gonfalone quarry, located in Ragusa, is one of the most fascinating examples of industrial archaeology in Sicily. Created by the extraction of limestone, which for centuries provided building materials for the city, today it is a vast cave covering about one and a half hectares, a place suspended between nature and artifice. The quarry is striking for its enormous support pillars, the marks of pickaxes still visible on the walls, and the evocative play of light and shadow that alternates between the dazzling entrances and the deep darkness of the tunnels, where there is also a small lake. Defined as a ‘non-place’, Gonfalone is at once internal and external, silent and alive, quarry and architecture: a void that tells the story of the city that took shape from it through subtraction. After years of closure, the municipal administration returned this extraordinary space to public use in 2021, with an experimental project that included guided tours, theatrical tours, tastings, and concerts. The large cavity has thus been transformed into a spectacular “underground cathedral,” capable of hosting music and theater performances in a unique setting. The success of the initiative—with over 1,700 visitors in the first months of opening—has confirmed the potential of this place, which today represents not only a testimony to Ragusa's productive past, but also a cultural space full of charm and possibilities.

18) Iblean Archaeological Museum

The Ibleo Archaeological Museum in Ragusa, located on the first floor of Palazzo Mediterraneo near Via Roma and Ponte Nuovo, preserves the oldest memories of the Iblean territory. Founded in the late 1950s and enriched in subsequent years, the museum offers a fascinating journey through the history of the province of Ragusa from the Neolithic period to late antiquity. The six sections into which it is divided allow visitors to retrace, step by step, the fundamental stages of civilization in the heart of the Iblei: from prehistoric ceramics to the necropolis of Kamarina, from evidence of Sicilian settlements such as Monte Casasia and Castiglione to the remains of Hellenistic and Roman centers. Of particular note is the famous ‘Warrior of Castiglione’, a limestone slab that is one of the most iconic images of Sicilian archaeology, alongside the evocative reconstruction of a 4th-century BC kiln from Scornavacche. There are also mosaic floors from a Byzantine church and finds from the late Roman settlements of Kaukana and Grotta delle Trebacche. The museum is not just a collection of finds, but a real journey through time, capable of conveying to visitors the complexity and richness of the civilizations that inhabited the Iblei mountains.

19) Irminio River Forest Nature Reserve

The Macchia Foresta del Fiume Irminio Nature Reserve, established in 1985, stretches between the municipalities of Ragusa and Scicli, along the mouth of the Irminio River, in one of the most picturesque corners of the Iblean coast. The area, which alternates between sandy beaches and cliffs overlooking the sea, is characterized by dunes shaped by the winds, which cause the landscape to constantly change. The reserve is home to a rich heritage of Mediterranean flora, including mastic, juniper, thyme, dwarf palm, sea lily, and ravastrello, while poplars and willows grow along the banks of the river, giving rise to the small forest from which the area takes its name. The fauna is equally varied: the area is a stopping point for numerous migratory birds, such as black-winged stilts, little egrets, kingfishers, and cormorants, as well as birds of prey such as buzzards and falcons. The inland areas are home to wild rabbits and foxes, while the waters provide refuge for frogs, toads, and even otters, a species introduced in recent decades. It is a place where nature, river, and sea meet, offering visitors an oasis of biodiversity unique in Sicily.