It is difficult to resist the charm of Sicily; this large island, where the beautiful season seems never to end. Among its many splendid corners, there is the province of Ragusa, shaped by wild nature and wonderful Baroque towns.
Places like Puntasecca, Marina di Ragusa, Donnalucata, Scicli, Noto, Pachino, Capo Passero and Ispica, besides having been the location of the popular TV series Inspector Montalbano (a character born from the pen of the very Sicilian Andrea Camilleri), offer welcoming beaches and a thousand opportunities for holidays for adults and children.
They are also convenient bases for discovering the architectural treasures of the area, starting with the capital Ragusa, which, after the earthquake of 1693, was rebuilt in Baroque forms in two separate parts: the older, eastern and lower part, heir to the millenary Hybla, and the upper part, on the plateau, laid out in a grid. The first, superimposed on the medieval town, opens up corners of great architectural and visual suggestion. Dominating it is the Church of San Giorgio, with its magnificent Baroque façade and central bell tower, accessible via a monumental staircase.
Not to be missed is also a visit to the Cathedral from the first half of the 18th century and the Iblean Archaeological Museum, divided into sections from prehistory to the paleochristian era. Like almost all Sicilian towns, Ragusa also has gastronomy as its flagship. Famous cheeses: Ragusano provola, Iblea ricotta, and Ragusan DOP caciocavallo. On the tables, traditional dishes are never missing: pasta ‘ncasciata, with cauliflower sautéed; tripe à l’olivitana, first cooked in a pan with eggplant, hard-boiled eggs and primo sale cheese, then baked; rabbit alla licordiana, cooked in a sauce of tomato preserve and herbs; stuffed turkey with meat and pasta. Typical and irresistible are the almond blancmange desserts, nuncàtoli, biscuits with dried fruit, honey, and citron marmalade. And, naturally, the unforgettable cassata.
