Ragusa, Sicily
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Ragusa
Rausa (Sicilian) | |
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Città di Ragusa | |
St. George (Ragusa Ibla) | |
Saint day | June 24 |
Website | Official website |
Part of | Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto (South-Eastern Sicily) |
Criteria | Cultural: (i)(ii)(iv)(v) |
Reference | 1024rev-007 |
Inscription | 2002 (26th Session) |
Area | 17.39 ha (1,872,000 sq ft) |
Buffer zone | 29.32 ha (3,156,000 sq ft) |
Ragusa (Italian:
History
The origins of Ragusa can be traced back to the
The ancient city, located on a 300 metres (980 ft) hill, came into contact with nearby Greek colonies, and grew thanks to the nearby port of
Thereafter, Ragusa's history followed the events of the Kingdom of Sicily, created in the first half of the twelfth century. A Chiaramonte family fief, it remained the county capital after it has been unified with Modica in 1296, a status that it lost in the 15th century after a popular revolt.
In 1693, Ragusa was devastated by a huge earthquake, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants. After the catastrophe, the city was largely rebuilt, and many Baroque buildings from that time remain in the city. Most of the population moved to a new settlement in the former district of Patro. The new municipality was called "Ragusa Superiore" (Upper Ragusa) and the ancient city "Ragusa Inferiore" (Lower Ragusa). Both cities remained separated until 1926, when they were merged to become a provincial capital in 1927 at the expense of Modica, which had been the former capital and the most populous and important city in the region since 1296.
In 1838, an asphalt deposit was discovered, which is still being worked.
In 1848, together with the cities of
In the early 20th century,
During the Second World War, Ragusa was one of many Sicilian towns in which the fascist regime of
When the combined British and American military operation to invade Sicily began (
On 6 May 1950, with a regular papal bull, Ragusa was raised to the dignity of diocese because of the wise and constant commitment of Msgr. Carmelo Canzonieri, the parish priest of Saint John the Baptist who later became auxiliary bishop of Messina before and then of Caltagirone. That took the territory from the archdiocese of Syracuse and the diocese of Noto.
Ragusa is now a dynamic and wealthy city and home to numerous companies. It is also the most important financial pole of the south because of the
Since the 1990s, the economy of Ragusa has been developing towards the industrial sector, which is still growing rapidly, in contrast to the situation in Italy. The scarce presence of infrastructure has limited the great potential of this territory, but it remains the most important export area of Sicily.
Geography
Ragusa is a hilltown that lies below the
Main sights
The city has two distinct areas, the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa Superiore (Upper Town). The two halves are separated by the Valle dei Ponti, a deep ravine crossed by four bridges, the most noteworthy of which is the eighteenth-century Ponte dei Cappuccini.
Upper Town
Ragusa Cathedral, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist (San Giovanni Battista), is the biggest attraction in Ragusa Superiore. The church was originally located in the western part of ancient Ragusa, under the walls of the Mediaeval castle, where the small church of St. Agnese is today. A smaller building was quickly built on the site after the 1693 earthquake, which soon proved inadequate. The current edifice was built between 1718 and 1778, with a façade in typical southern Sicilian Baroque style, with three portals and sculptures representing the Madonna, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The upper columns have two clocks showing the time in Italian and French fashions respectively. The high bell tower, on the left side, is also in Baroque style.
The ornate Baroque interior has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles separated by three colonnades embellished with gold. Charts showing Bible verses referring to St. John the Baptist are over every column. The dome was built in 1783, and covered with copper sheets during the 20th century. The side chapels, characterized by altars decorated with polychrome marbles, date from the 19th century.
Also noteworthy is the Hyblean Archaeological Museum, with different sections devoted to archaeological finds from the Prehistoric to the Late Roman era.
Ragusa Ibla
Ragusa Ibla is home to a wide array of Baroque architecture, including several stunning palaces and churches:
- Cathedral of San Giorgio: construction started in 1738 by architect Rosario Gagliardi, to replace temple destroyed by the 1693 earthquake. The church retains its older Catalan-Gothic style portal. The façade contains a flight of 250 steps and massive ornate columns, as well as statues of saints and decorated portals. The interior has a Latin Cross plan, with a nave and two aisles ending in half-circular apses. It is topped by a large Neoclassical dome built in 1820.
- Santa Maria delle Scale("Saint Mary of the Steps"): church lies a narrow winding street connecting Ragusa Ibla with Ragusa Superiore. Built between the 15th and the 16th centuries. While badly damaged in the 1693 earthquake, half of this church was rebuilt in Baroque style, while half retained the original Gothic style (including the three Catalan-style portals in the right aisle). The last chapel of the latter has a Renaissance portal. The chapels altarpieces are by 18th-century Sicilian painters of the 18th century.
- Chiesa del Purgatorio: Dedicated to prayer for souls in purgatory, church has a baroque portal.
- campanile with ceramics from Caltagirone and a canvas attributed to Mattia Preti.
- San Filippo Neri
- San Giorgio: designed by ellipticinterior housing a 17th-century statue.
- Sant'Antonino: church exemplifies Norman architecture, characterized by a Gothic portal, while the Church of Immacolata boasts a fine fourteenth-century portal.
- San Giorgio Vecchio: church boasts a façade with a notable Gothic-Catalan portal, with a high lunette portraying St George Killing the Dragon, and Aragonese eagles.
- Hyblean Garden: offers a good view to the three churches of the Cappuccini Vecchi, St. James (fourteenth century) and San Domenico.
- caryatids and grotesques.
- Villa Zinna: country estate.
Government
Transport
Ragusa has two railway stations, Ragusa and Ragusa Ibla, on the Canicattì-Gela-Syracuse line. Two other stations serve the localities of Donnafugata and Genisi.
The town will be served by the planned extension, from Rosolini to Gela, of the A18 motorway. The new exit of Ragusa will be located between the town and Marina di Ragusa.
Gallery
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Cathedral of San Giorgio in Ragusa Ibla.
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TheChurch of the Souls of Purgatory, one of the Baroque edifices built after the 1693 earthquake.
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Decorative Baroque façade of San Giuseppe church in Ragusa Ibla.
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Cathedral of San Giorgio in Ragusa Ibla.
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Interior of San Giorgio.
Twin towns — sister cities
Ragusa is twinned with:[10][11]
Trivia
Montalbano
Much of the filming of the Inspector Montalbano series is done in Ragusa, which has contributed to the rise of tourism in recent years.[12]
Notable people
- Princess Maria Paternò Arezzo (1869–1908), noblewoman and philanthropist
- Loredana Cannata (1975–), actress
- Maria Occhipinti (1921–1996), anarcha-feminist
- Enea Scala (born 1979), operatic tenor
- Damiano Caruso (born 1987), cyclist
See also
- Monti Iblei Cup (Hill Climb)
References
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Istat2016
- ^ The Christian Century, Volume 60 pg. 835
- ^ Sicily: An Informal History By Peter Smmartino, William Roberts pg. 111
- ^ Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily, 1943 by Carlo D'Este, pg. 433
- ^ Italy; an historical survey by Jack F. Bernard, published by David and Charles, 1971; pg. 476
- ISBN 978-0-19-933837-5.
- ^ Bitter Victory: The Battle for Sicily, 1943 by Carlo D'Este, pg. 148, 421
- ^ 39162 Ragusa on OpenStreetMap
- ^ "Comune di Ragusa". comune-italia.it (in Italian). Comune Italia. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- ^ "Twinning". mostalocalcouncil.com. Mosta Local Council. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
- ^ "Ragusa: Sicily Tourist Guide | Italy Heaven".
External links
- Ragusa travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Official city website (in Italian)
- Photos of Ragusa on Wondersofsicily.com