Around Ragusa

L'isola nell'isola

Where are we?

Ragusa (Italian Pronunciation / raɡuːza /, locally / r̝aɡʊːsa /, Raùsa in Sicilian) is an Italian municipality of 72 967 inhabitants, the capital of the homonymous province of Sicily. It is called the "bridge city" for the presence of three very picturesque structures, but it has also been defined by literate artists and economists such as "the island in the island" or "the other Sicily" thanks to its history And a socio-economic context very different from the rest of the island. In 1693 a devastating earthquake caused the almost total destruction of the entire city, reaping more than five thousand victims. The reconstruction, which took place in the eighteenth century, was divided into two large districts: on the one hand Ragusa upper, situated on the plateau, on the other Ragusa Ibla, originated from the ruins of the ancient city and rebuilt according to the ancient medieval plant. The architectural masterpieces built after the earthquake, together with all those in the Val di Noto, have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Ragusa is one of the most important places for the presence of Baroque art exhibitions.

Ragusa between myths and legends

Dafni figure of Greek mythology, was a pastor of Ragusa. He was the inventor of the bucolic song with the help of the zampogne. Many ancient writers defined the land of lotophages described in the Odyssey between the Hippar River and the town of Kamarina territory belonging to the ancient Ragusan Siculas. The town of Ragusa has ancient origins, in the area of Fontana Nuova, near Marina di Ragusa, is the primacy of the earliest find of human testimonies so far discovered in Sicily: in a cave were found some scrapers and cutting blades in Chipped stone, dating to 60,000 years ago. There are also numerous traces of Neolithic dating to Ragusa. They are present in the territory of prehistoric villages dating back to Facies Castellucciana, probably inhabited by ancient Sicanians. The evidence of the mining activity of the Castelluccians has been found; Tunnels excavated using the basalt bundles allowed the extraction and production of the required flint. These native populations were probably exterminated by the Sicilians, much more advanced people who colonized eastern Sicily in 1000 BC Legend has it that the Prince of Sicily Iblone arrived on the mountain where the present Ragusa Ibla stands, thought it comfortable and well protected, so settled in this territory that already hosted a large village.

Castle of Donnafugata

There are various hypotheses on the origin of the name "Donnafugata". It is usually referred to a legendary episode, such as the escape of Queen Navarre, widow of King Martino I of Aragon and regent of the Sicilian kingdom, who was imprisoned in the castle by Count Bernardo Cabrera, who sought his hand and, above all, Title of king. In fact the construction of the castle is next to the legend. According to others, the name is the free interpretation and transcription of the Arabic term عين الصحة'Ayn al-Ṣiḥḥat (Source of Health) which in Sicilian becomes Runefuata, from which the current denomination.

Marina di Ragusa

The ancient name of the village was Mazzarelli, derived from Arab Marsa A'Rillah, meaning a small landing place. At the end of the 16th century near the old port, the Cabrera Tower was built for defensive purposes, and a few decades later it had formed a living nucleus; But this did not prosper and did not grow much (also due to the nearby marshes at the mouth of the Irminio River, which dried in 800) and its luck came only at the end of the nineteenth century when the stone trade was born with the English and carob. In 1928, by the will of the Fascist fugitive Filippo Pennavaria, the name became the present Marina of Ragusa. After the war period Marina di Ragusa experienced a real housing boom due to the rise of the fashion of the "second home to the sea" by Ragusani; This expansion continues today and has led the village to become a first-rate bathing center.

fonte: wikipedia.it