3 Best Sights in Ragusa, Sicily

Ragusa Superiore's gargantuan 18th-cathedral was built in the then-nascent Quartiere Patro, after the destruction of a previous incarnation dedicated to San Giovanni in Ragusa Ibla was destroyed by the 1693 earthquake. Beyond the ornate late-Baroque facade, the three-nave, Latin cross interior is bathed by sunlight from the impressive cupola.  Amid 13 chapels and two altars, rich details abound: paintings and statuary spanning the centuries, rococo stuccowork, and a Neapolitan nativity scene. Pride of place goes to a vibrant wooden statue of San Giovanni carved in 1861 on a flamboyant gilded base, which is paraded through town each June 24. Those who are fit and have a head for heights should scale the narrow, 129-step staircase to the 160-foot-high campanile. After catching your breath, admire the church's four bells and enjoy fabulous views over Ragusa and beyond. Across the road, the Museo della Cattedrale displays pious relics and an interesting collection of maps.   

Sicilian carts—brightly painted and led by either a horse or donkey—were an important part of Sicilian history in the 19th and early 20th centuries (at least until the advent of the truck), and they have become a symbol of the island, often sold in miniature form as tourist souvenirs. For fascinating insight into the crafts and their role in Sicilian history, this workshop-museum, which is run by Biagio and Damiano, is a cultural highlight. They'll take you through the fascinating history of the cart, its place in Sicilian society, and the many skills involved in decorating them, including those eye-popping painted designs that advertised the wares transported and status of the driver. A visit can also be part of a 75-minute tour that takes in two other nearby sights: the Circolo di Conversazione (1850), an exclusive club with frescoed ceiling, scene of debate, intrigue, and card playing that is reserved for Ragusa's nobility to this day; plus the lavish Palazzo Arezzo di Trifiletti. Talk to Biagio about a visit to the Antico Mercato ( Via del Mercato 124–144), where botteghe (craft workshops)—including those devoted to sculpture, blacksmithing, and a puppet theater—are run by young artisans to help keep these traditions alive, often accompanied by tables of bountiful food and wine by Putia del Vino wine bar, under the market's beautifully restored arcades.

Designed by Rosario Gagliardi in 1738 (and completed in 1791), Ragusa's main cathedral, a fine example of the Sicilian Baroque, was further modified in the 19th century with the addition of a Neoclassical cupola. The flamboyant convex facade with bell tower rises 203 feet, looking like a wedding cake from the sloping piazza below to provide sightlines for the 141-foot dome. Although visitors enter via side entrances, the ornate portal frames wooden doors that are decorated with six episodes in the martyrdom of San Giorgio, all carved by Fiorello (1793). The three-nave interior is more subdued in comparison and contains numerous paintings and statuary by mostly 18th-century Sicilian artists, as well as an impressive 3,383-pipe Organum Maximum made in Bergamo in 1881; that alone is well worth hearing and a reason to visit. But you may wish to linger to take in the artworks and sunlight-bathed atmosphere from 20 vibrant, stained-glass windows, each detailing more saintly scenes and allegories.