Ragusa town:
one of the 8 late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto (South eastern Sicily)

Distance from the Hotel Borgo Pantano: 89.4 km (about 1h 22 min)
Ragusa town is called the “City of Bridges” for the presence of three structures very picturesque, but it was also defined by writers, artists and economists as the “island within an island” or “the other Sicily”, thanks to its history and a socio-economic context very different from the rest of the island. In 1693 a devastating earthquake caused the almost total destruction of the entire city, killing more than five thousand victims. The reconstruction, which took place in the eighteenth century, divided into two main areas: on the one hand Ragusa town, located on the plateau, the other Ragusa Ibla, risen from the ruins of the ancient city and rebuilt according to the ancient medieval. The architectural masterpieces built after the earthquake, along with all those in the Val di Noto, have been declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2002. Ragusa town is one of the most important places for the presence of evidence of Baroque art.
Curiosity: Many scenes of the television series “Inspector Montalbano”, he comes from the stories of the famous character born from the pen of Andrea Camilleri, were shot on the streets of this baroque town. Ragusa town and its breathtaking backdrop also to various scenes of “The Star” by Giuseppe Tornatore.
Ragusa Ibla (in Sicilian Iusu, or “lying down”) today quarter of the city of Ragusa town is the hub from which the city of Ragusa town has developed. It is located in the eastern part of the city, on a hill that goes from 385 to 440 m. After the earthquake of 1693, the neighborhood was rebuilt by implementing shipyards that produced works, buildings and monuments of late Baroque style. At the beginning of a long staircase, it is the baroque church of St. Souls in Purgatory. Instead, the Cathedral of St. George was built between 1744 and 1775, according to the plans of the famous architect Rosario Gagliardi. The district contains over fifty churches and palaces in the Baroque style. In the far east, there is the Giardino Ibleo and there are also the ruins of the ancient city, called Hybla.