Walking Down to Ragusa Ibla and the Duomo di San Giorgio

What it is

Ragusa is two towns. After the earthquake of 1693, many residents moved to the plateau above and built a new town, Ragusa Superiore, while the old one was rebuilt on its own hill as Ragusa Ibla. They were separate municipalities until 1926. This walk goes down from one to the other on foot, so you see Ibla from above before you enter it, and it ends at its cathedral and its garden.

The route

The descent. Park in Ragusa Superiore and look for the church of Santa Maria delle Scale, at the edge of the plateau. From there the steps lead down towards Ibla, with the old town opposite: rooftops, domes and bell towers crowded on the hill. This is the moment for photos. Bear in mind that what you go down you will have to climb back up.

The streets of Ibla. At the bottom, follow the narrow streets towards the centre of Ibla, with Baroque palaces with carved balconies and a church on every square. There is no need for a set route: almost every street ends up leading to piazza Duomo.

The Duomo di San Giorgio. It closes the square at the top of a flight of steps. It was designed by Rosario Gagliardi, the same architect as the Palazzo Nicolaci in Noto, in 1738, and finished in 1775. The façade rises in three orders of columns, scrolls and statues, like a theatre curtain against the sky, and behind it peeks the neoclassical dome, 43 metres high. Inside there are paintings by Sicilian artists of the 18th and 19th centuries and an organ by the Serassi of Bergamo from 1881. Next door, the Museo del Duomo keeps statues and stones from the earlier church, destroyed by the earthquake. At night, with the square lit up, it is worth a second look.

The Giardino Ibleo. At the other end of Ibla, the public garden is the natural end of the walk: a shady park with benches to rest before the climb.

Opening times and price

The Duomo opens in the morning and the afternoon. Italy's official tourism portal gives 10:00 to 12:30 (Tuesdays until 13:00) and 16:00 to 18:30; the Ragusa council website gives 10:00 to 13:00 and 15:30 to 19:30. Go in the hours where they overlap, 10:00 to 12:30 or 16:00 to 18:30. It is a working church; the official sources do not publish an entrance price. The streets can be walked whenever you like.

Getting there

By car, from Catania, along the Ragusa road. Ibla has a limited-traffic centre, so leave the car in Ragusa Superiore and walk down. If you cannot manage the steps, drive to Ibla and walk from there.

With children

The steps are more tiring on the way up than on the way down: with a pushchair it is awkward, so a baby carrier is better. The Giardino Ibleo is the place for them to run around for a while. For teenagers, the challenge of counting the steps on the way up.