Discover Ragusa: Late Baroque, Museums and Historic Routes

Late Baroque architecture in Ragusa

The entire historic centre of Ragusa is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto”.

The Duomo di San Giorgio in Ragusa Ibla is a masterpiece of Sicilian late Baroque architecture by Rosario Gagliardi. Inside is a monumental organ by the Serassi-Allieri company of Bergamo, dating from 1881. Ragusa Ibla also has more than fifty churches and numerous palazzi. The sacred and representative buildings thus shape several historic areas of the city.

The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista stands in the new district of Ragusa Superiore and forms another architectural focal point there. The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista was built in the late Baroque style of the reconstruction period following the earthquake of 1693. Its interior features gilded capitals, Corinthian columns, a dome and broad naves. Santa Maria delle Scale includes three surviving chapels with late Gothic rib vaults of Catalan origin and decorative stone reliefs. Santa Maria delle Scale is one of the oldest and most interesting churches in Ragusa. The three chapels add a late Gothic accent with Catalan influences.

Museums between archaeology and sacred art

The Museo archeologico Ibleo offers self-guided visits with explanatory panels and admission. The museum is divided into six chronologically arranged sections and covers the historical periods documented in the Ragusa area.

The Museo della Cattedrale San Giovanni Battista is housed on the piano nobile of the Palazzo Garofalo. Its tour leads through seven exhibition rooms. On display are reliquaries, goldsmithery, liturgical vestments, episcopal ornaments, liturgical texts, paintings and statues. The collection also includes the baptist’s reliquary chest, the “Arca Santa”, made in 1731.

Tastings and regional perspectives

At the Accademia della Terra, guided cultural tastings of historic national and international cheeses are available, accompanied by wine, beer and preserves. The tour turns the tasting into a combination of enjoyment and cultural history that extends beyond a single type of cheese.

Historic centres and routes through the landscape

In the wider regional surroundings of Ragusa, the Macchia Foresta del Fiume Irminio nature reserve in the municipalities of Ragusa and Scicli protects the mouth of the Irminio River and the coastal ecosystem. The regional landscape complements the Baroque city buildings with the coastal ecosystem of the Irminio estuary.

A walking path runs beneath the three bridges through the Vallata Santa Domenica and connects Ragusa’s two historic centres. The Vallata Santa Domenica is currently inaccessible because work is in progress. This work is intended to improve access and extend the paths. When planning routes on site, the current inaccessibility of the Vallata Santa Domenica must be taken into account when crossing the area.

More destinations for orientation

Comiso, Modica, Caucana-Finaiti-Casuzze-Finaiti N., Ispica, Frigintini, Vittoria, Plaja Grande, Santa Maria Del Focallo

For the higher-level travel overview: Ragusa.