Sicily ->

Ragusa, Modica and Scicli

The province of Ragusa occupies the South-Eastern tip of Sicily. Largely off the beaten tourist track its unspoilt coastline of little inlets with natural ports alternating
with long sandy beaches make it ideal for bathing.
Perched on a craggy limestone hill Ragusa is divided in two by a deep gorge - the cava di Santa Domenica - linked by three bridges.

The old city called Ragusa Ibla ( named after the Ibli mountains ) and Ragusa superiore (the modern upper town) were created after the devastating earthquake of 1693
split the city in two. Almost all the houses and monuments were destroyed and these two new cities were created.
Ragusa Ibla with its network of ancient narrow streets and alleys was reconstructed from the city ruins maintaining its medieval city plan with the addition of new buildings
and monuments that transformed it into a gem of Baroque architecture which was the style greatly favoured by the architects of this period.

Just 8 kilometres southeast of Ragusa lies the baroque town of Modica. Split in two the upper town rescued from the 1693 earthquake is dramatically perched on a ridge on the slopes of the Iblei mountains, and the lower town houses the bustling main street, shops, cafes and piazzas. Modica has a wealth of fine decorative architecture most noticeably in its churches and monuments.

According to some philologists the word Scicli comes from the Greek Sikla, which means milk pail, referring to the rich zoo-technical production in the area. Numerous archaeological findings testify the presence of human beings already in ancient times. During the centuries Scicli was conquered by Arabs, Normans and Aragonese. With the latter, it was part of the County of Modica. During the 14th century, the settlement, originally situated on the hill of S. Matteo, gradually developed towards the plain below, and therefore the new feud was here created. The town was later modified because of the earthquake in 1693. Particularly important are the church of S.Bartolomeo (15th century), the Mother Church and the church of S.Maria La Nuova (15th century) which has a Gagini statue inside.
 

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