Ragusa, Sicily tourist information and property
Ragusa, Sicily visitors guide
The City of Ragusa lies to the south of Sicily and has a population of about 70,000. Ragusa is off the beaten track when it comes to tourism which means that for the visitors that do make the effort, the city has a more authentic Sicilian feel. The city of Ragusa is in the province of Ragusa and on the coast the beaches are some of the cleanest and cheapest and least crowded in Sicily.
Similar to many other regions of Sicily, Ragusa has a good number of Baroque churches that are very much worth taking time out to see. In 1693, a massive earthquake severely damaged the old town of Ragusa and shortly after a new city was built on a ridge a little way from the old city. Upper Ragusa was built in the early 18th century so many of its buildings are in the Baroque style, that was so prevalent at the time.
The imposing Basilica of St. George is in Lower Ragusa or Ragusa Ibla and its front entrance is accessed by climbing a wonderfully curving set of wide steps. Atop the roof of the church which was built in 1738 is a majestic dome and the church looks down with pomp and authority over the old town below.
Apart from several more Baroque churches to visit including the Church of San Giorgio Vecchio, which was originally built in the 15th century, Ragusa has a fine Archaeology Museum which is open in the morning until 1pm and in the afternoon from 3pm until 6pm. Within the museum there are magnificent displays of artefacts dating from the Bronze Age and numerous Greek and Roman implements from when they were dominant in the area. Some particularly special items in the museum include Greek vases from the 6th century before Christ, and some remarkable statues of notable ancient Greeks and Romans.
back to Areas of Sicily.
One of the best ways to get the most out of visiting Italy and especially if you plan to buy real estate or property here is to think about studying Italian before heading to Sicily, even if just a few basic words.
