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Places to see in ( Ragusa - Italy )

Places to see in ( Ragusa - Italy )

Ragusa is one of the most picturesque towns in Sicily. The view from the upper town over Ragusa Ibla on its own separate hilltop is quite breathtaking. One of the UNESCO-listed Baroque towns of south-eastern Sicily, Ragusa is also one of the principal filming locations for the Sicilian detective drama Il Commissario Montalbano (Inspector Montalbano), a series which has done wonders for publicising the beauty of this area. With a new airport at Comiso, ten miles away, due to open, this is a tourist destination which is definitely up and coming.

Ragusa is in the Monti Iblei, a large area of high ground, divided up by dry stone walls and incised with ravines. The town was originally built on a small steep-sided hill with deep valleys on three sides separating it from the high plateau. After the earthquake of 1693, which destroyed many of south-eastern Sicily's buildings, it was decided to rebuild Ragusa on higher, more level ground nearby. This new planned town was built, with straight streets and a rational layout, but local aristocrats didn't want to move, and instead built themselves new palazzi on the ruins of the old town. So nowadays Ragusa has two parts: Ibla (or Ragusa Ibla), the older nucleus on its hilltop, and Ragusa Superiore, the more modern upper town which spreads from the post-earthquake streets into more recent developments. Like all Sicilian towns, Ragusa has its share of ugly modern sprawl, but this is well away from the historic centre, which is remarkably unspoilt.

Ragusa Ibla is the magnet for tourists, though the upper town is still worth a visit. The bus and railway stations, the town's archaeological museum and its everyday shops and businesses are in Ragusa Superiore as well as most of the hotels. Ibla is the more charming base for a holiday, though, with picturesque lanes, cafes, restaurants and gastronomic shops aimed at tourists. Its main artery is the perfect venue for the evening passeggiata.

The best activity in Ragusa is wandering; meandering along the character-filled lanes of Ragusa Ibla or clambering up the steps towards the upper town and enjoying the great, classic view over Ibla. This is an inviting town for even more leisurely pursuits - a long drink at a cafe table on the pretty sloping piazza in front of the Duomo, a wine-flavoured gelato, a splendid meal at one of the town's small restaurants or a stroll in the park.

Like neighbouring towns, Ragusa was rebuilt after the great earthquake in the Baroque style, and its palazzi and churches are elegant and covered with a profusion of florid detail. The grandest building in Ibla is the cathedral, the Duomo di San Giorgio, begun in 1738 and designed by the architect Rosario Gagliardi. Up a flight of steps and segregated from the streets by ornate railings, this is the heart of the old town and contains some of its best, and most prized artworks. These include a statue of St. George which is carried around town in devout processions. Alongside the church is the small Museo del Duomo (open at weekends), a museum containing stone statues and reliefs from the original pre-earthquake San Giorgio and other churches, architectural drawings by Gagliardo, some extravagant reliquaries and gloomy religious paintings. One of the highlights is a nice little stone carving, from the 15th century, portraying a honey-maker (mielaio) with honeycomb and jug.

Ibla's lanes contain many charms, from elaborately-sculpted balconies to views over the narrow valleys below town. If you have time, it's a good place to explore, with some intriguing corners. A little tourist train (trenino) departs from Piazza Duomo and is an entertaining way of touring the principal streets.

As well as exploring Ibla, most visitors will want to take a look at Ragusa Superiore. The two towns meet at a saddle of land marked by the small Piazza della Repubblica. One of the town's tourist offices is alongside, and also the attractive Chiesa delle Anime del Purgatorio. The upper town can be reached by an energetic climb or by the little local bus from the Giardino Ibleo or Piazza della Repubblica.

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Places to see in ( Scicli - Italy )

Places to see in ( Scicli - Italy )

Scicli is one of the UNESCO-listed Baroque towns of south-east Sicily, but it is rather off-the-beaten-track compared with its more visited neighbours Noto, Ragusa and Modica. This overlooked town has a scenic location and charm that at least matches its rivals, though, along with an enjoyable sense of discovery for the visitors who explore its streets. It does have an up-and-coming feel about it, so future visitors may find more tourist development, though hopefully that will not detract from its pleasant aura of exclusivity.

Scicli shares its architectural heritage with other towns in the area, but it also has some unique attractions of its own, including a neatly-kept centre, fine clean stonework, and a dramatic situation in a basin overhung by churches and monasteries on high crags.
Scicli is one of the filming locations for popular Sicilian detective drama Il Commissario Montalbano, which is exported to several other countries, and viewers will enjoy spotting familiar scenes.

Scicli is an ancient town, which grew up around two valleys divided by steep ridges, emerging onto a wider vale. Early settlements were up on the ridges - the town's principal church, San Matteo, sat on a commanding position overlooking the smaller valleys as they opened into a wider vale. Around the church, on the slopes, were clustered cave-dwellings. Over time, as the defensive functions of the site grew less important, the town shifted down the hillside and nowadays the inhabited area fills the wide level vale like a grey flood of buildings below the old church on its headland. By the 1950s the final residents of the cave-settlement were rehoused in social housing at the far end of town, and the upper slopes were abandoned, along with San Matteo.

Some of Scicli's history may sound familiar to those who've visited Italy's most famous cave-dwelling site, Matera in Basilicata. Scicli has some of the same appeal - but without the effective, sensitive redevelopment which has made Matera a tourist attraction. Here in Scicli, the caves still lie overgrown. Down by the road, a partially done-up cave with a front door and windows had a fading 'for sale' sign in the window. At the time we visited, attempts to develop the cave-dwelling area as an archaeological site seemed to have stalled. This is a town ripe for discovery and investment... though its Sicilian location may be hampering progress.

The heart of Scicli, and the part of interest to tourists, still lies around the foot of the dramatic ridge dominated by the church of San Matteo, though the church, like the cave houses, now lies abandoned. On either side of the ridge lie the valleys of Santa Maria la Nova and San Bartolomeo, each containing the grand churches for which they are named. Beyond these valleys are other steep ridges crowned with religious complexes. Directly in front of San Matteo are the main streets and squares of the town.

Piazza Italia is the business-like heart of Scicli; a long square lined with (mostly) elegant palaces, with cars cruising by, locals stopping to chat and old men trading information and fresh produce. A pedestrianised strip runs down the centre of the square, where there are benches and a childrens' playground, and intercity buses stop at the bottom.

One of the oldest districts of Scicli, the abandoned cave settlement of Chiafura lies on the slopes of this ridge, accessible from a path close to the ruined fort. When we visited this footpath was overgrown, though a noticeboard proclaimed that EU funds had been spent on establishing a percorso archeologico, an archaeological route. The relevant monies having evidently vanished, attempts to maintain the path had been abandoned. Since this is such an obvious heritage attraction, perhaps future visitors will find improvements. From the ridge, winding green walled paths lead down and along the craggy slope, lined with cave dwellings; some mere entrances and others built outwards into semi-cottages, a couple of which were heavily restored. Although too overgrown for easy exploration when we visited, it Would be lovely to tour this area if it were slightly better-kept. Another access path, signposted, at the foot of the slope, in the San Bartolomeo valley, shows where some of the EU money went: a stairlift and big locked gates to bar access.

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Places to see in ( Taormina - Italy ) Mazzeo

Places to see in ( Taormina - Italy ) Mazzeo

The Mazzeo beach is located between Mazzaró and Letojanni. This beach is far bigger than the ones of Letojanni and the sand is less coarse. Due to the convenient location many people from the surrounding areas as well as visitors searching for relaxation come here.

There are several free sections on the beach as well as some charming lidos. Everybody can pick up his sunshade on the free parts of the beach. The pretty beach of Mazzeo is recommendable for those who prefer calm holidays.

One of the longer beaches of Taormina stretches along the Bay of Mazzeo. It is between Mazzaro' and Letojanni. The pebble beach is extensive with plenty of choice between the free zones and the beach establishments that rent loungers and umbrellas. Mazzeo is a 'suburb' of Taormina with plenty of shops, cafes, and restaurants to provide services for your day at the beach. There are buses from Taormina center to reach the seaside of Mazzeo.

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Modica and Scicli street food tour

With a unique street food tour you will explore two of the most wonderful cities of Sicily: Modica and Scicli.
With your professional tour guide you will explore all around, admiring the baroque buildings and tasting amazing street food like the chocolate of Modica, an old recipe passed by family on family in the last four centuries.

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SCICLI Sicilia: prime impressioni

Scicli (Scichili in siciliano) è una città barocca nel Consorzio Municipale Libero di Ragusa. Scicli è stato inserito nell'elenco dei patrimoni dell'umanità dell'UNESCO. È meglio conosciuto come il luogo principale per la serie TV Il commissario Montalbano (e Il giovane Montalbano). SCICLI Sicilia: prime impressioni è stato girato il 19 aprile 2019.

Musica di Tracing Arcs:
Sicily 2019 (playlist):

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Scicli (Scichili in Sicilian) is a baroque town in the autonomous region of Sicily known as the Free Municipal Consortium of Ragusa. Scicli has been listed as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. It is best known as the main location for the TV series Inspector Montalbano (and The Young Montalbano). SCICLI Sicily: first impressions was filmed on 19 April 2019.

Music by Tracing Arcs:
Sicily 2019 (playlist):

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Sicily landscape, East Coast, Sicily, Italy, Europe

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea; along with surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Siciliana (Sicilian Region). Sicily is located in the central Mediterranean. It extends from the tip of the Apennine peninsula from which it is separated only by the narrow Strait of Messina, towards the North African coast. Its most prominent landmark is Mount Etna, which is at 3,320 m (10,890 ft) the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. The island has a typical Mediterranean climate. The earliest archeological evidence of human dwelling on the island dates from as early as 8000 BC. At around 750 BC, Sicily became a Greek colony and for the next 600 years it was the site of the Greek-Punic and Roman-Punic wars, which ended with the Roman destruction of Carthage. After the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD, Sicily often changed hands, and during the early Middle Ages it was ruled in turn by the Vandals, Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Arabs and Normans. Later on, the Kingdom of Sicily lasted between 1130 and 1816, first subordinated to the crowns of Aragon, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and finally unified under the Bourbons with Naples, as the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. With the Expedition of the Thousand, a Giuseppe Garibaldi-led revolt during the Italian Unification process, it became part of Italy in 1860 as a result of a plebiscite. After the birth of the Italian Republic in 1946, Sicily was given special status as an autonomous region. Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature, cuisine and architecture. Sicily also holds importance for archeological and ancient sites such as the Necropolis of Pantalica, the Valley of the Temples and Selinunte. Sicily has a roughly triangular shape, which earned it the name Trinacria, from Greek treis 'three' and akra 'promontory'. To the east, it is separated from the Italian region of Calabria by the Strait of Messina, about 3 km (1.9 mi) wide in the north, and about 16 km (9.9 mi) in the southern part.[5] Northern and southern coasts are each about 280 kilometres (170 mi) long measured as a straight line, while the eastern coast measures around 180 kilometres (110 mi); total coast length is estimated at 1,484 km. The total area of the island is 25,711 square kilometres (9,927 sq mi), while the Autonomous Region of Sicily (which includes smaller surrounding islands) has an area of 27,708 square kilometres (10,698 sq mi). The terrain of inland Sicily is mostly hilly, and intensively cultivated wherever it was possible. Along the northern coast, mountain ranges of Madonie, 2,000 m (6,600 ft), Nebrodi, 1,800 m (5,900 ft), and Peloritani, 1,300 m (4,300 ft), represent an extension of mainland Appennines. The cone of Mount Etna dominates over the eastern coast. In the south-east lie lower Hyblaean Mountains, 1,000 m (3,300 ft). The mines of the Enna and Caltanissetta district were a leading sulfur-producing area throughout the 19th century, but have declined since the 1950s. Sicily and its small surrounding islands have some highly active volcanoes. Mount Etna, with a height of 3,320 m (10,890 ft), is the tallest active volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. The Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, to the northeast of mainland Sicily, exhibit a volcanic complex including Stromboli. Currently active also are the three volcanoes of Vulcano, Vulcanello and Lipari, usually dormant. Off the southern coast of Sicily, the underwater volcano of Ferdinandea, which is part of the larger Empedocles, last erupted in 1831. It is located between the coast of Agrigento and the island of Pantelleria (which itself is a dormant volcano), on the underwater Phlegraean Fields of the Strait of Sicily. The autonomous region also includes several neighboring islands: the Aegadian Islands, the Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria and Lampedusa. Sicily has a typical Mediterranean climate with mild and wet winters and hot, dry summers. According to the Regional Agency for Waste and Water, on 10 August 1999, the weather station of Catenanuova (EN) recorded a maximum temperature of 48.5 °C (119 °F), which is the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe by the use of reliable instruments. The official European record measured by minimum/maximum thermometers is recognized to Athens, Greece, as communications reported a maximum of 48.0 °C (118 °F) in 1977. Total precipitation is highly variable, generally increasing with elevation. In general, the southern and southeast coast receives the least rainfall (less than 20 in., or 50 cm), and the northern and northeastern highlands the most (over 40 in., or 100 cm). Sicily is an often-quoted example of man-made deforestation, which was practiced since Roman times, when the island was made an agricultural region.

Casa Elisa, Sicily. Villa on the Beach

Casa Elisa, Sicily, offers lovely accommodation right on the beach located on the southern tip of Sicily allowing you to make the most of the sunny days on the sand or out and about looking at some of the culture-steeped towns in the area -- Ragusa, Modica, Noto and Ispica to name but a few.

I filmed Cefalù on this beautiful day, Sicily ~ Italy

The beautifully serene seaside town of Cefalú, Sicily. A must-see if you are traveling to Sicily!