Ragusa

Ragusa was part of the Grecian colony of Sicily, and later part of the Roman Byzantine empire. After several raids, in 868 AD it fell to the Muslims, who established the Emirate of Sicily. In 1090 it came under Norman rule. The area was fertile and the city grew up in the area now called Ragusa Ibla. "Hybla" means honey, and was also the name of an ancient deity.
The town was destroyed in the terrible Sicily earthquake of 1693. Most re-building was on higher ground, with Ragusa Superiore being laid out on a grid pattern on a hillside overlooking Ibla. It was constrained to the south by a deep ravine, but eventually this was bridged, and the south bank was also urbanised. Meanwhile Ibla was largely neglected except as a source of masonry. This meant the medieval street pattern was preserved, while palaces and churches were rebuilt there piecemeal in baroque style. Gradually this area too was re-populated, and the two townships grew into each other, being formally merged in 1927.
So for the visitor, most sights of interest, and the more pleasing ambience in spite of the many tour groups, are found in Ibla. Although it's described as the "lower town", it's actually on a hilltop, with the upper town peering down from a higher hilltop. Exploring Ragusa involves lots and lots of slopes and steps. The church on the saddle of land joining the two hills is dedicated to "the blessed souls in Purgatory": if those souls had limited mobility, it would have sufficed to send them to Ragusa.
The Tourist Information Centre is close to that church, at Piazza della Repubblica, the foot of Via Aquila Sveva, which is the lane up to Ibla.
There's another TIC in the piazza below Ragusa Superiore cathedral (St John the Baptist). This is in a 1960s concrete eyesore that defaces the entire square. In early 2018 it was partly fenced off because of falling cladding, so it would be a kindly storm that finished it off.

By plane

• Aeroporto di Comiso "Pio La Torre"Ryanair are the main operator, flying daily from Milan MXP; also from Pisa, Rome FCO, Charleroi, Dublin, London Stansted, Frankfurt HHN and Dusseldorf NRN. In summer others fly once a week from Amsterdam, Brussels BRU, Birmingham, Dusseldorf DUS and Frankfurt FRA. There is no bus service. Car rental is available.

Other airports, with wider connections across Europe, are Catania-Fontanarossa Airport (97 km) and Palermo International Airport (274 km).

By boat

The nearest seaport is Pozzallo, 34 km south, with daily fast ferries to Malta.

By train

Ragusa is on a branch line, plied by a lumbering single-coach railcar. Six trains a day Mon-Sat go north to Gela (60-80 min, stops include Donnafugata) and south to Syracuse (two hours, stops include Modica, Scicli, Pozzallo, Ispica and Noto). From Gela there are connections to Palermo, and from Syracuse to Catania and Messina. No trains on Sunday.

• Stazione di Ragusa

  address: Piazza Gramsci
  The station is in the south part of R Superiore, across the ravine bridge, close to the AST bus stand. There's a ticket machine (so you must have a ticket, and validate it, before boarding) but otherwise no facilities.

By bus

There are buses from Syracuse, Catania, Modica, Vittoria, Marina di Ragusa, Noto, Palermo (4 hr, €12), and Rome (SAIS Trasporti). A list of bus companies operating from Ragusa can be found on the municipal website.
Local buses (e.g. to Modica and Syracuse, and the shuttle to Ibla) run from the small bus stand just below the railway station. Buy tickets on board or from tabachi.
Long-distance buses run from

Terminal Bus

By car

From Catania take SS114 and turn for Lentini SS194. From there follow sign to Ragusa on the SS514.
From Siracusa take the motorway A18 and then the SS115.
From Agrigento/Gela follow the SS.115

On foot

If you go there on foot do not follow the directions for cars but take the step streets down from Via Roma.

By bus

• AST

  address: via Libertà, 15
  Provides urban transport services for the city. The main urban bus terminus is the "Nodo Zama" which is next to the intercity bus station and the "Nodo Piazza del Popolo", next to the railway station. If heading towards Ibla take buses 11 and 33 (hourly to 21:00), or line 1 (on Sundays and holidays), or line 3 (at night). Bus tickets are available from various news stalls and tabachi.

By taxi

There is a taxi station/office at the beginning of Ragusa Ibla in Piazza della Repubblica and there are taxis at the train station in the new Ragusa.

Ragusa Ibla

The old city is a spectacular mix of narrow streets, steep winding steps, old churches, and fantastic views.

• Duomo di San Giorgio

  address: Piazza Duomo
  The duomo is the heart of Ibla. The cathedral has an imposing exterior staircase. It is a jewel of baroque architecture.

• Portale di San Giorgio

  address: Via Normanni
  All that remains of the previous (14th-century) church of San Giorgio is this bricked-up doorway, in Gothic-Catalan style. It suggests that church was a grand affair, but its scene of St George slaying the dragon is sadly eroded by the wind. Saint, horse and dragon are now cadaverous, and the damsel is beyond saving.

• Giardini IbleiRestful public gardens, half in Italian style and half in English style, with views over the valley of the Irminio. With three small medieval churches: St Jacob, St Agata, and St Vicenza which is an artspace.

• Scavi archeologici Ibla

  address: Via Giardino
  Small archeological area with Hellenistic-Greek ruins of Hybla dating to the 3rd century BC and Roman ruins dating to the 4th century AD.

• Chiesa di Santa Maria dell'Itria

  address: Via Scale
  Church built in 14th century in the old Jewish quarter, belonged to the knights of Malta.

• Chiesa di Santa Maria delle ScaleChurch dating to the 13th century, inside it has three chapel/arches in late Gotic style.

• Chiesa del Purgatorio

  address: Piazza Repubblica
  17th-century church with Baroque portal and Bizantine walls.

• Porta Valter

  address: Via Valter
  Ancient gate that is part of the medieval walls.

• Palazzo Battaglia

• Palazzo Sortino Trono

• Palazzo della Cancelleria

• Palazzo La Rocca

• Palazzo Cosentini

• Palazzo Arezzo di Donnafugata

  address: Corso XXV Aprile, 9
  The Baroque residence of the former owners of the Castle of Donnafugata.

• Palazzo Arezzo di Trifiletti

  address: Corso XXV Aprile, 4
  You wouldn't guess what's inside by its modest exterior,

• Circolo di conversazione

  address: Piazza Duomo
  This rare example of Neo-Classical style in the region was build for aristocrats' social club. Amazingly enough it's still a private club.

Ragusa Superiore

• Duomo San Giovanni

  address: Piazza San Giovanni, Ragusa
  A grand baroque cathedral (built 1706 - 1778) with a splendid organ.

• Palazzo Bertini

  address: Corso Italia
  Baroque palace

• Palazzo dell'Aquila

• Palazzo Zacco

  address: Via San Vito, 158

• Palazzo Vescovile Schininà

• Ponte dei Cappuccini

  address: Via Traspontino, Ragusa
  Old bridge (1825) linking two parts of town with a series of arches.

• Museo Archeologico Ibleo

  address: Via Natalelli
  Divided in 6 sections. Prehystoric, Greek, Siculis arcaic, Hellenistic, Roman and collection.

• Teatro Donnafugata

  address: Via Pietro Novelli, 5

• A Porte Aperte

  phone: +39 366 319 4177
  address: Corso XXV aprile/Via Pietro Novelli
  Guided tours to the Circolo di Conversazione, the theatre of Donnafugata and the garden of Palazzo Arezzo-Bertini. Approx. 50 min, in Italian/English.
• There is a project to convert the old railway-line running north past Chiaramonte Gulfi and to Vizzini (the track is already gone) into a bicycle-track.

Events

• Ibla Buskers

  address: on the streets of Ragusa Ibla
  Every year for one week in October the streets of Ibla get populated by street-artists from all over the world.

• Ibla Grand PrizeMusical-Piano competition with musicians from all over the world. Concerts in the Piazzas of Ibla. June - July.

• MelodicaPiano concerts in the churches of Ragusa. May till November.

• Festival Organistico

• Estate Iblea

  address: Ragusa and Marina di Ragusa

Religious events

• Festa di San Giovanni

  address: Piazza San Giovanni, Ragusa

• Festa di San Giorgio

  address: Piazza Duomo, Ragusa Ibla

• Maria SS di Porto Salvo

  address: Marina di Ragusa
  procession with the statue of the Virgin Mary sailing on a boat in front of Marina di Ragusa. August.

High-streets

• The main are Via Roma and Corso Italia.
• For souvenirs and typical Sicilian products the Via XXV Aprile in Ragusa Ibla has many shops with all the gadgets you want to buy in Sicily and take back home.

Shopping centres. There are two in Ragusa:

• Centro Commerciale Ibleo - Ipercoop

  address: Viale delle Americhe, SP.52, Ragusa
  Shopping centre.

• Le Massarie

  address: Via A Grandi, Ragusa
  Shopping centre.

Markets
There is a market M-Sa, but it moves between quarters of Ragusa. The main market is on Wednesdays next to the football stadium 'A. Campo' in Selvaggio quarter.

• Mondays

• Tuesday

• Wednesdays

  address: Contrada Selvaggio
  Main market of Ragusa, next o the football stadium.

• Thursdays

  address: Via A. De Gasperi.
  Market, off Viale Europa.

• Fridays

  address: Piazza Tamanaco
  Location: off Via Archimede.

• Saturdays

  address: Via P.S. Mattarella.
  Location: at the end of Viale Napoleone Colajanni.

• Ai Lumi

  phone: +39 0932 621 224
  address: Corso 25 Aprile, 16
  Good simple menu, quality uneven.

• La Bettola

  phone: +39 0932 653 394
  address: Largo Camerina 7, Ragusa Ibla
  Good down-home Sicilian cooking.

• Cucina & Vino

  phone: +39 0932 686 447
  address: Via Orfanotrofio, 91 Ragusa Ibla
  Good economical Sicilian cooking. Fast food it's not, so relax and enjoy.

• U Saracinu Ristorante

  phone: +39 0932 246 976
  address: Via Convento, 9 Ragusa Ibla
  Restaurant & pizzeria, friendly staff, mixed reviews for quality of food.

• Duomo Ristorante

  phone: +30 0932 651 265
  address: Via Capitano Bocchieri 31, R Ibla
  Upmarket restaurant with 2 Michelin stars, booking essential.

• Quattro Gatti

  phone: +39 0932 245 612
  address: Via Valverde 95
  Sicilian cuisine with a Slovakian twist.

Most pubs are in Ragusa Ibla (old town) or in Marina di Ragusa (sea-town).

• The Jester Pub

  address: Viale Europa, Ragusa
  Great pub and live music. Open Sept - June
• Puglesi, Via Dante 94, +39 0932 686046. Bar at the bus stop, open late.

In Ragusa there are several hotels and many B&Bs. Out of town there is a good selection of agriturismi.

• B&B Il Giardino dei Sospiri

  phone: +39 0932 651 418
  address: Via dei Sospiri, 24
  Charming B&B with garden

• Terra del sole Ibla B&B

  phone: +39 333 682 1202
  address: Corso Giuseppe Mazzini 218b
  Rooms with bathroom, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi, good breakfast (included), beautiful view. A few free parking spaces in front of the B&B.

• Locanda Don Serafino

  phone: +39 0932 220 065
  address: Via XI Febbrao, 15
  Boutique 4-star mansion with 10 rooms with AC, bathroom, TV, safe, in-room internet connections. Also has a restaurant.

• Sanvito Hostel

  phone: +39 345 723 9849
  address: Via San Vito 176, 97100 Ragusa (Italy)
  Hostel, shared rooms.

• • • • The other baroque towns and UNESCO World Heritage sites are Modica 15 km, Scicli 25 km, Noto 55km, Caltagirone 59 km, Piazza Armerina 88 km, and Pantalica 54 km. Modica is the most substantial.
      • Syracuse is a must-see.