16-23 MAY 2016 SICILY: RAGUSA & MODICA

RAGUSA:

Ragua, together with Scilici, is the fictional Vigata of Montalbano stories. 

The origins of Ragusa date back to the second millenium BC. Over centuries it was conquered and dominated by Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans , Byzantines and Normans until the creation of the kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century. 

in 1693 it was devastated by a huge earthquake after which it was rebuilt. Most of the population moved to a new settlement and named it Ragusa Superiore, the ancient city being called Ragusa Inferiore.

Ragusa Ibla:

Ragusa Ibla is the ancient historic centre of the city with over 50 churches and many palaces. 

View looking down from Ragusa Superiore

Stacked houses of Ragusa Ibla dominated by the huge but very plain University building.

Stairs, stairs and more stairs

Chiesa delle Anime del Purgatorio:

This church dominates a small piazza at the base of the hill rising to Ragusa Ibla. Its facade is decorated with sculptures of people roasting in the fires of purgatory hoping that a late acceptance of true faith will deliver them from the flames.

Cathedral of St George:

Dedicated to Patron Saint of Ragusa Ibla, devotion to whom was brought here by the Normans, this church was almost destroyed by the 1693 earthquake.

View from Piazza Duomo

MODICA:

Another nearby town often featured in 'Montalbano' that we were recommended to visit was Modica. Known as the city of two cities, according to Thucydides it was founded in 1360 BC and it had a similarly turbulent history to Ragusa. It came to real prominence in 1296 when Frederick II of Aragon formed the 'County of Modica' a kind of 'state within a state' which was not revoked until 1812. 

 Unlike modern Ragusa , however, Modica's economy is not mainly based on tourism  as it has many factories producing textiles, furniture and cars so, inevitably, it is not such a beautiful city.

Church of San Pietro:

The second most notable church in Modica was probably built originally in 1369 though nothing remains of the original structure. Its rebuilding followed the 1693 earthquake.

It is notable for the impressive staircase, completed in 1876, with its 12 statues of the apostles put on pedestals and its 49 metre high typically Sicilian Baroque bell tower.

Modica Chocolate:

This is characterised by an ancient and original recipe using manual grinding (rather than conching) which gives the chocolate a peculiar grainy texture, often flavoured with chilli pepper, cinnamon or vanilla. Being part of the Spanish kingdom for so many years meant that Sicily was often one of the earliest recipients of the new foodstuffs being brought back from South America. Cacao was one of these and chocolate making was introduced by the Spaniards, who in turn possibly learned the technique from the Aztecs. 

There are an abundance of shops related to chocolate in many forms.

We visited this shop claiming to be the oldest chocolate-making business in Modica. 

There wasn't much making going on but you could taste some samples ...... and of course buy.

All a bit like the Black Country Museum!

Time for a stroll to get a feel for the town.

Corso Umberto

We decided to head for Modica Alta.

Chiesa di San Giovanni Evangelista:

At the top of Pizzo Hill, in Modica Alta, we found this church with its large sweeping staircase with 26 pillars. Originally there were 26 statues too but today only 3 remain. At 449 metres, it is the highest point of Modica. 

It is believed that in the 7th century this was the site of the first religious building in Modica, the small church of San Pietro. It was enlarged in 1150 and in the 14th century changed its name. It suffered earthquake damage in both 1693 and 1848 before being rebuilt in its present form in the 19th century.

Walking behind the church .........

..... there are some spectacular views.

Cathedral of San Giorgio:

The origins of the church are blurry, some records showing a building for worship being destroyed by the Arabs in 845. The first church in Modica dedicated to St George was probably built on the site after the Norman conquest of Sicily in 1090. However the current church is the result of the reconstruction from the 17th century after disastrous earth quakes in 1542, 1613 and 1693. 

The facade of the church rises to a height of 62 metres with a scenic stairway of 164 steps designed to connect the two sides of Modica.

A beautiful garden on several levels, called Orto del Piombo, enriches the front of the church. 

A truly beautiful and noteworthy building, but our attention had first been drawn to it by a large and clearly very important funeral taking place inside as we arrived. We never saw the coffin or the actual mourners but what we couldn't but see was the long line of black limousines parked outside, each car surrounded by cohorts of black-suited burly men waiting to ferry away the mourners after the funeral Mass. The only other time we had seen something similar had been driving past the house of the deceased Mr. Big of the 'Birmingham Mafia' on the day of his funeral. We decided not to take any pictures of San Giorgio that day that could have got us into any trouble!

Street scenes:

The small tourist bus to Modica Alta