Situated in the southern area of the Iblei Mountains, Ragusa is an extraordinarily fascinating city, both for its suggestive geographical position and for the richness of its artistic heritage.

Numerous are the nicknames with which it is known: “city of bridges”, for the presence of three very picturesque structures, “the island in the island” or “the other Sicily” for writers, artists and economists, thanks to its history and a socio-economic context very different from the rest of the island. The city is divided into two nucleuses, Ragusa Inferiore (the ancient lbla) and Ragusa Superiore. The different urban structure reminds us of its past as a place partly devastated by intense seismic activity. Following the catastrophic earthquake of 1693, in fact, they proceeded with the reconstruction of the Old Town in the same place as the original one, and the construction of new buildings in contrada Patro, giving birth to the first nucleus of Ragusa Nuova. Ragusa Ibla is still today the historical area of the city, with its heritage of baroque churches and palaces. The new centre, less rich in monumental characters, is instead set on a modern grid with wide and symmetrical streets.

Ragusa lbla arose on the foundations of the ancient Hybla Heraea, founded by the Sicilians, and was later invaded by the Greeks, of whom it deeply assimilated customs and traditions. From the Greek period, no inhabited towns remain, but only a few necropolises. Hybla Heraea maintained its independence until the middle of the third century B.C. when, upon the arrival of the Romans, all of Sicily became a “Roman province”. Following the break-up of the Roman Empire into the Eastern Empire and Western Empire, the city spent about five centuries under Byzantine domination and changed its name to Reusia. During this period, the city, like most of Sicily, little defended by the Byzantines, suffered continuous raids by Vandals, Goths and Visigoths. The only remains of the Byzantine domination are some tombs, the most important of which is that of the Trabaccas in the valley of Buttino. In 848 the Arabs occupied the city, imposing hard covenants of submission. After a brief rebellion against the Muslims in 868 and the inevitable Arab reconquest, Reusia became Rakkusa or “Ragus”. The Saracens were followed by the Normans who came down to Sicily in 1060 and completed the conquest of the entire island in thirty years; Ragusa, which became county, was assigned by Roger I to his son Goffredo, the first count of Ragusa. It is in this period that the name of Ragus became definitely Ragusa. When Sicily became land of the Swabians with Henry VI, Ragusa County became domain of the king. In 1713, with the treaty of Utrecht, Sicily passed to the Savoys. With the 1860 Garibaldi expedition, Ragusa and Sicily joined the Kingdom of Italy. In 1865 the city was divided again in two, Ragusa Inferiore, that is the ancient lbla, and Ragusa, the new one.

USEFUL INFO

Official website of the city

For general information visit the site:

www.comune.ragusa.gov.it

Tourist Information Office

A.A.P.I.T. (Azienda Autonoma Provinciale per l’Incremento Turistico) 


Via Capitano Bocchieri, 33 – Ragusa

Tel. +39 0932 621421

Fax +39 0932 623476

Infotourist

Piazza San Giovanni – Ragusa


Tel. +39 0932 684780 


Fax +39 0932 684781

infotourist@comune.ragusa.gov.it

Useful Numbers

Carabinieri                                       112

Police                                          113

Fire Department                              115

Healthcare Emergency                    118

Travel Informed (CCISS)                 1518

Roadside Assistance                803116

Traffic Police             035 276300

Local Police                  035 399559

Climate

Situated in the southern part of the Iblei Mountains, Ragusa enjoys a Mediterranean hilly climate. Its altitude determines average colder temperatures than those of the coastal zone. Snow events in the lower parts of the city (Ibla) are rare, while in the highe part on the high plains they occur more frequently. Ragusa is also one of the rainy provincial capitals, with rainfall from October to March. The average temperature in January, the coldest month, ranges from a minimum of 8°C to a maximum of 14°C, while in July and August it rises from 23°C to 31°C.