Archaeological Park of Cava d’Ispica, Modica

The Cava d’Ispica is a narrow valley stretching from NW to SE for about 14 km within the municipalities of Modica, Ispica, and partly Rosolini. It is crossed by a small stream called Pernamazzoni in the upper part and Busaitone in the lower part. The valley is one of the largest natural and archaeological complexes in Sicily thanks to its complex and diverse stratigraphy, spanning from the Bronze Age to the Early Middle Ages, with an extraordinary continuity of settlement uninterrupted over the centuries. Although it is a very scenic place, the main interest lies in the dense and continuous traces of human presence: it includes necropolises, from the Sicilian ones with oven tombs to the classical ones, from Byzantine hypogea to Christian catacombs, and rock settlements ranging from prehistoric caves to medieval troglodyte dwellings. The visit to Cava d’Ispica consists of two parts: the northeast area near Mulino Cavallo; and the southeast area, the rock site of ancient Spaccaforno (old name of Ispica).