Ragusa, Italy
Ragusa is a city with 69 816 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) on the Italian island of Sicily and the provincial capital of the province of Ragusa. It is one of the late Baroque towns of the Val di Noto, which have been declared by UNESCO as World Heritage in 2002.
Location and data
Ragusa is in the Iblei at an altitude of 520 m above sea level and 92 km from Syracuse and 248 km from Palermo.
The districts of Ragusa are Ariazza, Bellocozzo San Giacomo, Bocampello, Calafato, Carnesala Gargallo, Castellana, Castiglione, Cava Giumente, Cilone, Conservatore, Costa, Cutalia, Donnafugata, Fargione, Gaddimeli II, Galerme, Gallina, Gelso, Genesi, Gisolfo, Granatello, Imperatore, Magni, Maltempo, Marchesa Monte Margi, Marina di Ragusa, Menta, Mistretta, Monsovile, Montesano, Nunziata, Palazzello, Palazzola, Pending, Piombo, Ponte di Modica, Pozzi, Pozzillo, Punta Braccetto, Puntarazzi, Salinella, Salomone, Santa Barbara, Sant'Antonino, Serra Garofalo, Soprano, Torre del Mastro, Trebastoni and Tresauro.
The neighboring municipalities are Chiaramonte Gulfi, Comiso, Giarratana, Modica, Monterosso Almo, Rosolini (SR ), Santa Croce Camerina, Scicli and Vittoria.
History
The area has been inhabited since the 3rd millennium BC and was inhabited until the early 18th century BC by the Siculi who probably founded the settlement called Hybla. In the 6th century BC, conquered the Greeks, then the Carthaginians the place. After the conquest of Sicily by the Romans, the city grew into a regional center up under the name of Hybla Heraia.
From the 4th century ruled the Byzantines. In August 848 the city was sacked by the Arabs and destroyed after the inhabitants had made peace with the Arabs, and leave them the city, according to Ibn al - Athir. In the year 868, the Arabs conquered the city for good. During the Middle Ages ruled successively Normans, Swabians and Aragonese.
1693, the city was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake and its past, Arab and medieval traces included destroyed. Within the framework of reconstruction of two districts, one in the area of the original town and at a slightly higher plateau in the west. Emerged
1927 Ragusa was the provincial capital of the province of Ragusa.
Coat of arms
Description: In blue a gold reinforced black eagle with raised wings under a golden serrated crown with a golden cornucopia in left hand and a caduceus in the other catch. Above the shield a mural crown and five towers on the sign foot on silver ribbon the motto in black capital letters: " CREVIT RAGVSIA HYBLǼ RVINIES "
Economy
1838 have been discovered in the area of Ragusa asphalt deposits in the mid-20th century oil deposits. Important sectors of the economy are the extraction of asphalt, oil refining, agriculture and the production of Ragusano, a typical local cheese. Tourism also plays an increasingly important role. This is helped by the district of Marina di Ragusa, located 25 km south-west by the sea and has developed into a bustling resort.
Traffic
Ragusa is located on State Road 115, on the few kilometers to the east, at rosolini, the A18 motorway can be reached to Catania and Messina. An extension of the A18 to continue to Ragusa and Gela is planned. Ragusa is also on the railway line Caltanissetta Gela - Syracuse. About ten kilometers northwest of Ragusa is the airport Comiso, which was opened in 2013 for international traffic. In the surroundings of Ragusa are also a number of smaller airfields for general aviation, including the airfield Giubiliana.
Cityscape
The town center consists of two parts, which are separated by a ravine. In the East, near the site of the old town, the lower town of Ragusa Ibla with its magnificent buildings in the style of the Sicilian Baroque in the 18th century. Here is a large part of baroque churches and palaces.
On a hill to the west is the rather austere and geometrical designed also in the 18th century Upper Ragusa Superiore. Here lives the majority of the city dwellers. In addition to the administrative buildings of the city here is the San Giovanni Cathedral.
Connected are the two parts of the city by three bridges. The oldest bridge, Ponte dei Cappuccini or Ponte Vecchio dates from the first half of the 19th century. It is 114 m long and runs at 40 m height above an old quarry.
Interior of the church of San Giorgio
Church of San Giuseppe in Ragusa Ibla
Cathedral of San Giovanni in Ragusa Superiore
Environment
About 20 km southwest of Ragusa is the Castello di Donnafugata, a palace from the 19th century with an eponymous, internationally renowned winery.
25 km south of Ragusa is the district of Marina di Ragusa, which is due to its wide sandy beaches popular destination Ragusani.
Events
- Patron saint of Ragusa Ibla, San Giorgio, is the honor every year on April 23, organized a celebration.
- In Ragusa Superiore San Giovanni is revered as the patron saint. With the annual celebrations of 27 to 29 August, the locust bean crop in the region is initiated.
- Award of the poet Prize " Città di Ragusa "
People
- Giovanni Battista Hodierna (1597-1660), priest and astronomer
- Carmelo Cappello (1912-1996), sculptor of the modern
- Giorgio Occhipinti (born 1969 ), pianist, composer and bandleader
- Loredana Cannata ( b. 1975 ), actress
- Damiano Caruso ( * 1987), cyclist