Ragusa, Italy
Encyclopedia
Ragusa is a city and comune
in southern Italy
. It is the capital of the province of Ragusa
, on the island of Sicily
, with around 75,000 inhabitants. It is built on a wide limestone
hill between two deep valley
s, Cava San Leonardo and Cava Santa Domenica. Together with seven other cities in the Val di Noto
, it is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
.
, when in its area there were several settlements of the ancient Sicels
. The current Ragusa Ibla lies probably on one of them, identified as Hybla Heraea
.
The ancient city, located on a 300 m high hill, entered in contact with the nearby Greek colonies, and developed thanks to the nearby port of Camerina. After a short Carthaginian rule, it was administrated by the Romans and the Byzantines: the latter fortified the city and built a large castle. Ragusa was occupied by the Arab
s in 848 AD
, remaining under their rule until the 11th century, when the Normans
conquered it. Selected as County seat, its first Count was Geoffrey, son of Count Roger I of Sicily.
Ragusa thereafter followed the events of the Kingdom of Sicily, created in the first half of the twelfth century. A Chiaramonte
family fief, it remained the county capital after the unification with that of Modica in 1296, a status it lost in the 15th century after a popular revolt.
In 1693 the city was devastated by a huge earthquake
, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants. Following this catastrophe the city was largely rebuilt, many baroque
buildings date from this period. Most of the population moved to a new settlement in the former district of Patro, calling the new municipality "Ragusa Superiore" (Upper Ragusa) and the ancient city "Ragusa Inferiore" (Lower Ragusa). The two cities remained separated until 1926, when they were fused together to become the provincial capital in 1927 at the expense of Modica, the former capital and the most populous and important city in the region since 1296.
In 1838 an asphalt
deposit was discovered, which is still being worked.
s representing the Madonna, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The upper order of columns has two watches showing time in Italian and French fashions respectively. The high campanile
, on the left side, is also in Baroque style (another one on the right side only the cornerstone was laid off in 1820).
The ornate baroque interior has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles separated by three colonnades embellished with gold. Over every column are charts showing Bible verses referring to St. John the Baptist. The vaults of the naves and the presbytery were decorated with Rococo
gilted stuccoes by Giuseppe and Gioacchino Gianforma, also authors of the two statues in the niches of the transept. The dome was built in 1783, and covered with copper sheets in the 20th century. The side chapels, characterized by altars decorated with polychrome marbles, are from the 19th century.
Noteworthy is the Hyblean Archaeological Museum, with six sections devoted to Prehistoric to Late Roman findings.
The Cathedral
of San Giorgio was built starting in 1738 by architect Rosario Gagliardi
, in substitution of the temple destroyed by the 1693 earthquake, and of which only a Catalan-Gothyic style portal can still be seen. The façade is characterized by a flight of 250 steps and by massive ornate columns, as well as by statues of saints and decorated portals. The interior has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles ending in half-circular apses. It is topped by a large Neoclassical
dome built in 1820.
On a narrow winding street that connects Ragusa Ibla (the new name of R. Inferiore, taken by a legendary Greek town maybe risen here) with Ragusa Superiore is the church of Santa Maria delle Scale ("Saint Mary of the Steps", built between the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries). This church is particularly interesting: badly damaged in the earthquake of 1693, half of this church was rebuilt in Baroque style, while the surviving half was kept in the original Gothic (including the three Catalan-style portals in the right aisle). The last chapel of the latter has a Renaissance portal. The chapels have canvases from some Sicilian painters of the 18th century.
The Church of the Souls of the Purgatory has a Baroque portal. The church of Santa Maria dell'Itria, built by the Knights of Malta
in the seventeenth century, has a campanile with ceramics from Caltagirone and a canvas attributed to Mattia Preti
.
The church of San Giorgio, designed by Rosario Gagliardi and built in 1739–1775, has a façade with tiers of juxtaposed columns. The Treasury contains silver items of value. Similar though smaller is the nearby church of St. Joseph, with an elliptic interior housing a seventeenth-century statue of the dedicatee.
The church of Sant'Antonino is an example of Norman architecture, characterized by a Gothic portal, while the Church of Immacolata boasts a fine fourteenth-century portal.
San Giorgio Vecchio has a re-entrant façade with a notable Gothic-Catalan portal, with a high relief on the lunetta portraying St. George Killing the Dragon, and Aragonese eagles.
The Hyblean Garden offers a panorama on the three churches of the Cappuccini Vecchi, St. James (fourteenth century) and San Domenico.
The Zacco Palace is a Baroque building, its Corinthian columns
support balconies of wrought iron work, caryatids and grotesque
s.
, Croatia Mosta
, Malta Little Rock, USA Asunción
, Paraguay Oise
(department), France Milan
, Italy
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in southern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is the capital of the province of Ragusa
Province of Ragusa
The Province of Ragusa is a province in the autonomous region of Sicily in Italy, located in the south-east of the island. Its capital is the city of Ragusa, which is the most southerly provincial capital in Italy.-Geography:...
, on the island of Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, with around 75,000 inhabitants. It is built on a wide limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
hill between two deep valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...
s, Cava San Leonardo and Cava Santa Domenica. Together with seven other cities in the Val di Noto
Val di Noto
Val di Noto is a geographical area of south east Sicily; it is dominated by the limestone Iblean plateau.-The Val di Noto in the Arts:...
, it is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
History
The origins of Ragusa can be traced back to the 2nd millennium BC2nd millennium BC
The 2nd millennium BC marks the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age.Its first half is dominated by the Middle Kingdom of Egypt and Babylonia. The alphabet develops. Indo-Iranian migration onto the Iranian plateau and onto the Indian subcontinent propagates the use of the chariot...
, when in its area there were several settlements of the ancient Sicels
Sicels
The Sicels were an Italic people who inhabited ancient Sicily. The Sicels gave Sicily the name it has held since antiquity, but they rapidly fused into the culture of Magna Graecia.-History:...
. The current Ragusa Ibla lies probably on one of them, identified as Hybla Heraea
Hybla Heraea
Hybla Heraea or Hybla Hera was an ancient city of Sicily; its site is at the modern località of Ibla, in the comune of Ragusa...
.
The ancient city, located on a 300 m high hill, entered in contact with the nearby Greek colonies, and developed thanks to the nearby port of Camerina. After a short Carthaginian rule, it was administrated by the Romans and the Byzantines: the latter fortified the city and built a large castle. Ragusa was occupied by the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
s in 848 AD
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, remaining under their rule until the 11th century, when the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
conquered it. Selected as County seat, its first Count was Geoffrey, son of Count Roger I of Sicily.
Ragusa thereafter followed the events of the Kingdom of Sicily, created in the first half of the twelfth century. A Chiaramonte
Chiaramonte
The Chiaramonte are a noble family of Sicily, claiming descent from Charlemagne. They became the most powerful and wealthy family in Sicily. In the 13th century the marriage of Manfredi Chiaramonte to Isabella Mosca, united the two Sicilian counties of Modica and Ragusa...
family fief, it remained the county capital after the unification with that of Modica in 1296, a status it lost in the 15th century after a popular revolt.
In 1693 the city was devastated by a huge earthquake
1693 Sicily earthquake
The 1693 Sicily earthquake refers to a powerful earthquake that struck parts of southern Italy, notably Sicily, Calabria and Malta on January 11, 1693 around 9 pm local time. This earthquake was preceded by a damaging foreshock on January 9th...
, which killed some 5,000 inhabitants. Following this catastrophe the city was largely rebuilt, many baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
buildings date from this period. Most of the population moved to a new settlement in the former district of Patro, calling the new municipality "Ragusa Superiore" (Upper Ragusa) and the ancient city "Ragusa Inferiore" (Lower Ragusa). The two cities remained separated until 1926, when they were fused together to become the provincial capital in 1927 at the expense of Modica, the former capital and the most populous and important city in the region since 1296.
In 1838 an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
deposit was discovered, which is still being worked.
Economy
The economy of the surrounding province hinges mainly on light industries, agriculture (horticulture, olives), farming, tourism, light manufacturing and small oilfields.Main sights
The city has two distinct areas, the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa Superiore (Upper Town). The two halves are separated by the Valle dei Ponti, a deep ravine crossed by four bridges. The most noteworthy of them is the eighteenth-century Ponte dei Cappuccini.Upper Town
The Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista is the main monument of Ragusa Superiore. The church was located originally in the west part of the ancient Ragusa, under the walls of the Mediaeval castle, where the small church of St. Agnese is today. A first, smaller edifice was quickly built after the 1693 earthquake, but it soon proved inadequate. The current edifice was built between 1718 and 1778, with a façade in typical southern Sicilian Baroque style, with three portals and carvings and sculptureSculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
s representing the Madonna, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. The upper order of columns has two watches showing time in Italian and French fashions respectively. The high campanile
Campanile
Campanile is an Italian word meaning "bell tower" . The term applies to bell towers which are either part of a larger building or free-standing, although in American English, the latter meaning has become prevalent.The most famous campanile is probably the Leaning Tower of Pisa...
, on the left side, is also in Baroque style (another one on the right side only the cornerstone was laid off in 1820).
The ornate baroque interior has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles separated by three colonnades embellished with gold. Over every column are charts showing Bible verses referring to St. John the Baptist. The vaults of the naves and the presbytery were decorated with Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
gilted stuccoes by Giuseppe and Gioacchino Gianforma, also authors of the two statues in the niches of the transept. The dome was built in 1783, and covered with copper sheets in the 20th century. The side chapels, characterized by altars decorated with polychrome marbles, are from the 19th century.
Noteworthy is the Hyblean Archaeological Museum, with six sections devoted to Prehistoric to Late Roman findings.
Ragusa Ibla
Ragusa Ibla hosts a wide array of Baroque architecture, including several stunning palaces and churches.The Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of San Giorgio was built starting in 1738 by architect Rosario Gagliardi
Rosario Gagliardi
Rosario Gagliardi was a Sicilian architect born in Syracuse. He was one of the leading architects working in the Sicilian Baroque. In spite of never leaving Sicily his work showed great understanding of the style, but was a progression from the style of baroque as deployed by Bernini...
, in substitution of the temple destroyed by the 1693 earthquake, and of which only a Catalan-Gothyic style portal can still be seen. The façade is characterized by a flight of 250 steps and by massive ornate columns, as well as by statues of saints and decorated portals. The interior has a Latin cross plan, with a nave and two aisles ending in half-circular apses. It is topped by a large Neoclassical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
dome built in 1820.
On a narrow winding street that connects Ragusa Ibla (the new name of R. Inferiore, taken by a legendary Greek town maybe risen here) with Ragusa Superiore is the church of Santa Maria delle Scale ("Saint Mary of the Steps", built between the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries). This church is particularly interesting: badly damaged in the earthquake of 1693, half of this church was rebuilt in Baroque style, while the surviving half was kept in the original Gothic (including the three Catalan-style portals in the right aisle). The last chapel of the latter has a Renaissance portal. The chapels have canvases from some Sicilian painters of the 18th century.
The Church of the Souls of the Purgatory has a Baroque portal. The church of Santa Maria dell'Itria, built by the Knights of Malta
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
in the seventeenth century, has a campanile with ceramics from Caltagirone and a canvas attributed to Mattia Preti
Mattia Preti
Mattia Preti was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta.- Biography :Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was sometimes called Il Cavalier Calabrese...
.
The church of San Giorgio, designed by Rosario Gagliardi and built in 1739–1775, has a façade with tiers of juxtaposed columns. The Treasury contains silver items of value. Similar though smaller is the nearby church of St. Joseph, with an elliptic interior housing a seventeenth-century statue of the dedicatee.
The church of Sant'Antonino is an example of Norman architecture, characterized by a Gothic portal, while the Church of Immacolata boasts a fine fourteenth-century portal.
San Giorgio Vecchio has a re-entrant façade with a notable Gothic-Catalan portal, with a high relief on the lunetta portraying St. George Killing the Dragon, and Aragonese eagles.
The Hyblean Garden offers a panorama on the three churches of the Cappuccini Vecchi, St. James (fourteenth century) and San Domenico.
The Zacco Palace is a Baroque building, its Corinthian columns
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
support balconies of wrought iron work, caryatids and grotesque
Grotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
s.
Images
GalleryTwin towns — Sister cities
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Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
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Oise is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise.-History:Oise is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
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Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
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