Ragusa (Sicily)

Ragusa is a city in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Ragusa, on the island of Sicily. Together with seven other cities in the Val di Noto, it is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has two distinct areas, the lower and older town of Ragusa Ibla, and the higher Ragusa Superiore (Upper Town). The two halves are separated by the Valle dei Ponti, a deep ravine crossed by four bridges, The most noteworthy of which is the eighteenth-century Ponte dei Cappuccini. Ragusa Ibla is home to a wide array of Baroque architecture, including several stunning palaces and churches. The Cathedral of San Giorgio started in 1738 by architect Rosario Gagliardi, in place of the temple destroyed by the 1693 earthquake, and of which is the only place in the city a Catalan-Gothic style portal can still be seen.