View from above
All of Ibla.
Chris Down — CC BY 4.0 · TeKappa — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Panek — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Panek — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Panek — CC BY-SA 4.0
Ragusa Ibla is the old quarter of Ragusa in southeast Sicily, about 71 km southwest of Catania in a straight line. The city stands on a wide limestone hill between two deep valleys and, with seven other towns of the Val di Noto, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city's origins go back to the 2nd millennium BC, when Sicel settlements stood in the area, and the Ibla district has been identified as the ancient Hybla Heraea. It later passed through Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Norman rule. In 1693 a huge earthquake destroyed it, and it was rebuilt in the late Baroque style it is famous for today. The old quarter piles up on a separate hill with houses and palaces of pale golden stone, reached by long stairways and lanes from the upper town. At its heart a wide square ends at the cathedral's dome and Baroque facade, and at its far end the Giardino Ibleo looks over the valley. Visitors walk down from the upper town by stairs and lanes, where a stunning view of the whole of Ibla opens up, then wander its squares and lanes to the garden. The walk involves a lot of up and down, and evenings are lovely when the stone is lit.
All of Ibla.
The cathedral dome.
Over the valley.
Ibla, Ragusa, Sicily, Italy
Yes, by car from Catania.
Comfortable shoes for the stairs.