Ragusa Ibla, the most charming hill town in Sicily – Exploring Eastern Sicily, Part 10

This post is the continuation of a series documenting our travels to the Eastern part of the island of Sicily. We were now nearing the end of our trip and had just spent a great day in the beautiful town of Noto ( A day spent in Noto , the Garden in Stone – Exploring Eastern Sicily, Part 9 ). We were now headed to the penultimate stop of our  Sicilian travels – The hill town of Ragusa in the South Eastern part of the island.

When I was planning this trip to Sicily, Ragusa was the first place that I noted down as a must visit place. The photos I had seen online of the hill town clinging onto its hill top location seemed right out of a painting and was something I had to see with my own eyes. Ragusa also was not in the usual tourist circuit making it my ideal place to spend a few days on vacation.

Ragusa is divided into 2 parts Ragusa Ibla on the smaller lower hill and Ragusa Superiore on a higher hill and plain above. The ancient town of Hybla located on the lower hill was almost entirely destroyed in the earthquake of 1693. The rich people of town decided that it was not worth rebuilding at the same location and shifted to the higher location and built Ragusa Superiore with a grid street pattern and an earthquake proof fortified Cathedral. Ragusa Ibla was slowly rebuilt at the location of the old Hybla by the people who couldn’t afford starting over and hence retains its medieval character with narrow winding lanes and houses burrowed into the rock. So it was Ragusa Ibla and more so the classical view of that part of town that interested me more. We would obviously visit Ragusa Superiore (more on that in a later post) but most of our time in Ragusa would be spent in Ragusa Ibla.

We selected a B & B which was not exactly in Ibla, but right in between Ibla and Superiore. The highlight of the B & B Terra del Sole was unbroken views from its room balconies over Ragusa Ibla. We splurged a bit here and booked a room with a terrace that turned out to be one of the best rooms I have ever stayed in.

We reached Ragusa train station from Noto and then took a taxi (fixed price of 15 Euros) which we found totally worth it since there is nothing flat in Ragusa, only steps and more steps! There was no question of walking even with our minimal luggage over 2 km consisting mostly of stairs. We would realise later that a city bus makes that circuit too and would use it on our way out of Ragusa. Inspite of that my knees would complain for days after returning from the beating they took climbing and getting down all those stairs multiple times in our 3 nights in Ragusa.

We got to our B & B where our host Nanni was ready to welcome us. We finished check in formalities and got to our room which was all it promised to be and more. We went straight to the terrace and started clicking away to glory. I knew that by the time we left Ragusa I would have dozens of photos from here trying to capture the beautiful hill town in different light.

Ragusa Ibla from our terrace room at the B&B Terra del Sole

The better half poses in the terrace of our room

After we put away our luggage we asked our host for recommendations for lunch since it was already lunch time and restaurants would soon close for their afternoon siesta. We were told that the Trattoria Agli Archi just a short walk down the stairs from the B&B. The B & B also had a short cut door which opened out right on the  pedestrian path in between Ibla and Superiore.  We used the shortcut and went down to the restaurant passing one of the numerous Palazzos in Ragusa.

The shortcut path from the B&B Terra del Sole

The under restoration Palazzo della Cancelleria in Ragusa

The never ending stairs in Ragusa

We went down the stairs towards the restaurant which was right opposite the Church of the Holy Souls of Purgatory which was one of the few structures that wasn’t damaged in the earthquake of 1693. The church interiors would have to wait for later as our tummies were grumbling and we wanted to have lunch before the restaurants closed down.

The Church of the Purgatory at the entrance of Ragusa Ibla

It was a beautiful spring afternoon and we got a table outside with a view of the Piazza della Republica at the Trattoria Agli Archi. We ordered a Pasta Norma Ala Casa for the better half which was Ravioli stuffed with cheese and eggplant in Tomato sauce & Pasta with Sicilian Ham and cherry tomatoes for myself. It was also a perfect afternoon for a bottle of the local Messina beer. The beer was cold, the food delicious and the location beautiful. We couldn’t have asked for a better first meal in Ragusa.

With my bottle of Messina at the Trattoria Agli Archi

The beautiful location of the Trattoria Agli Archi

The better half’s Ravioli Alla Norma

My Pasta with Cherry tomatoes and Spicy Sicilian Ham

Enjoying our 1st lunch in Ragusa at the Trattoria Agli Archi

With our tummies satiated we returned to the B &B for a quick siesta since most places close down in the afternoon and there was no point in walking around in the baking sun. We were in our room when I noticed some bird flitting around on the terrace. I needed no further invitation to put on the 300mm lens on the camera. It was one of my favourite small European birds the European Goldfinch – I would enjoy my time on the terrace for the next 3 days taking photos of these pretty little birds. My siesta was soon forgotten and I spent the next hour on the terrace seeing what else I could find. In addition to the nesting common Starlings I also got the unexpected bonus of a few flybys by a Peregrine Falcon!

The Dome of the Duomo Di San Giorgio from the terrace with the 300 mm

First sighting of the European Goldfinch from the Terrace.

The European Goldfinch poses for the 300mm

A flyby by a Peregrine Falcon

A common Starling collects material to build it’s nest

Ready to explore Ragusa Ibla after a couple of hours on the terrace

After a couple of hours in the room it was time for us to start our exploration of Ragusa Ibla. We went down the stairs again and this time went to the interiors of the Church of the Purgatory which was open now.

Outside the Church of the Purgatory in Ragusa

The baroque interiors of the church were beautifully done with the decorated arches, pillars and a painted altarpiece. We walked around the church and did our usual church routine of sitting in the pews for a few minutes before walking out and starting our climb into Ibla.

The baroque interiors of the Church of the Purgatory in Ragusa

Painted altarpiece and decorated pillars and arches at the Church of the Purgatory

The better half poses inside the Church of the Purgatory

We walked up the upwards sloping streets till we came to the Via Capitano Bocchieri. I would like to mention this street because of its beautiful design. As you walk on the street the Cathedral dome comes into view and as the street curves on it frames the dome perfectly at one point making it a perfect place for taking photos.

Walking up the streets of Ragusa Ibla

The Via Capitano Bocchieri – A perfect place for photography

The next place we would visit was the interiors of the Duomo/ Cathedral of San Giorgio. The entrance of the Cathedral was from a separate staircase on the left and the main entrance and iron gates are usually always closed. We went inside the interiors which were bigger than I expected. Built after the quake of 1693 by the same architect who also designed the Cathedral at Noto it had the same Baroque signature.

The Cathedral of San Giorgio in Ragusa Ibla

The church is dedicated to St George who can be seen as a painting, as a sculpture as well as in a stained glass window, a sculpture on the exterior and on the wrought iron gates on his horse slaying a dragon. If you didn’t know St George had a fight with a dragon, a visit to this cathedral will hammer that fact in!

The interiors of the Cathedral of San Giorgio

The main altar

The peaceful interiors of the Cathedral in Ragusa Ibla

A beautifully decorated chapel at the Cathedral

The statue of St George riding a Horse under the dome of the Cathedral

A painting of St George killing a dragon

A sculpture on the outside of the Cathedral with St George and the Dragon

Stained glass window showing St George on his Horse

Even the wrought iron gates have St George on his horse killing a dragon !

After finishing our church routine we walked out of the Cathedral into the biggest square in Ragusa Ibla the Piazza Duomo. It was also sloping in one direction showing the tight location of Ragusa Ibla.

Looking back at the Cathedral of St George from the Cathedral square

The sloping Piazza Duomo in Ragusa Ibla

We then walked down the Corso XXV Aprile the Main Street of Ragusa Ibla till we came to yet another Baroque church facade which was the Church of San Giuseppe / St Joseph. The church is usually closed and we took some photos of the facade before moving on.

The beautiful facade of the Church of San Giuseppe

We then came to the small Piazza Pola which had a small church dedicated to Mary Magdalene which was open. We never need an invitation to go inside an open church so we went inside the cosy church. We did our church routine and as usual there was no one inside the church.

The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena

The interiors of the small Church of St Mary Magdalene

Inside the Chiesa of St Mary Magdalene

We then reached the end of our walk which was the Public Gardens or the Giardino Ibleo. We entered the gates and made a beeline for the Church of St Giocomo inside the gardens as it would close soon for the day.  We reached the church in time and went inside to see an interior that was different from all other churches in Ragusa. It had a beautiful wooden ceiling with frescoes painted on it. We strained our neck gawking at the ceiling and taking photos inside this beautiful church before walking back into the gardens.

The Church of San Giocomo inside the Public Gardens in Ragusa Ibla

The beautiful interiors of the Chiesa odyssey San Giocomo

The beautifully restored painted frescoes on the ceiling

Happy us inside the Church of San Giocomo in Ragusa Ibla

Outside the Church of San Giocomo inside the public gardens

We then spent an hour walking the gardens which are well maintained and has a view point over the valley below. We enjoy these public gardens in Europe which are almost always well maintained and a beautiful place to spend the evening without any crowds. Here in Ragusa we only had the locals for company!

In the beautiful Giardino Ibleo / Public Gardens of Ragusa Ibla

Flowers bloom at the public gardens in Ragusa

A cat uses the garden sculpture as a perch

Walking the gardens with only locals for company

At the view point in the gardens to the valley below

We then lingered on a bench in the gardens till it was time for the gardens to close for the day. It had been a great walk through one of the cosiest and prettiest hill towns in Sicily. All the walking up and down slopes and steps had built up our appetite and it was time for the restaurants to open for dinner. We went to another one of the restaurant recommendations that our B&B host had given us – Trattoria La Bettola. It turned out to be an excellent recommendation as we would have 2 of our 3 dinners in Ragusa here.

That night we ordered Potato balls & Cheese fondue as a starter with a local Lager for me and an apple soft drink for the better half. We then proceeded to order and devour slow cooked meatballs in tomato sauce topped with cheese ( The best thing I ate on the trip!) and  Cavati with aubergine, tomato sauce and ricotta cheese for the better half. The atmosphere was lively, the food excellent and it wasn’t exorbitantly priced. We couldn’t ask for anything more.

At our outdoor table at the extremely popular Trattoria La Bettola

Potato balls in Cheese Sauce

The best meal on the trip – Slow cooked meatballs in tomato sauce

The better half is happy with the food in Sicily!

Enjoying a locally brewed lager at the trattoria La Bettola

By the time we finished our dinner it was starting to go dark and the lights were switched on which made the walk back to the B&B Terra Del Sole a magical one. Ragusa Ibla is lit up perfectly for a medieval old town and we made it a point to time our dinners so that we could enjoy Ragusa all lit up.

The Piazza Duomo all lit up

A short detour to a viewpoint over the Cathedral dome

Happy us after our first day in magical Ragusa Ibla

Ragusa Superiore high up on the hill from Ragusa Ibla

Via Capitano Bocchieri is magical at night

A bad selfie at a perfect location

Just another lane in Ragusa Ibla

The Church of the Purgatory all lit up

Piazza della Republica all lit up at night

We returned to the B &B via a parallel lane which inspite of being narrow had a beautiful Church facade of Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Itria.

The facade of the Chiesa di Santa Maria dell’Itria

The Salita Commendatore a narrow lane leading up to the B&B

The tower of the Palazzo della Cancelleria

Happy me after enjoying my photography in Ragusa

Full circle from where we started – Outside the Palazza della Cancelleria

We reached our terrace room tired but happy at having chosen Ragusa as a 3 night stop in our Sicilian travels. We would sit in the terrace and enjoy the view for some time before our bodies started demanding sleep. We then slept off for a peaceful night’s sleep.

Lit up Ragusa Ibla from the terrace room of the B&B Terra del Sole

We would wake up the next morning refreshed to enjoy the sunrise from the comfort of our room and then hike up the stairs to visit Ragusa Superiore.

Ragusa Ibla just before dawn

That however is the topic for another post, some other time, some other day as I have exceeded my set word limit yet again. (Maybe it’s time I reset those limits!)

Till next time.

Ciao!