Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
CHIARAMONTE GULFI
Some 20km north of Ragusa, Chiaramonte Gulfi is a delightful hilltop town with a gastronomic reputation. It pro-
duces a highly rated olive oil accredited with the
Denominazione d'Origine Protetta
(DOP) quality rating and is
famed for its pork products.
The place to buy ham, and indeed to lunch on superb pork, is
Ristorante Majore
( 093 292 80 19;
www.majore.it
; Via dei Martiri Ungheresi 12; meals €20-25; Tue-Sun) , a much-acclaimed trattoria just off
central Piazza Duomo. It's unpretentious and old-school, and the menu is unapologetically meaty, with signature
dishes
risotto alla majore
(with pork
ragù
and local cheese) and
falsomagro alla siciliana
(pork meatballs stuffed
with salami, cheese, eggs and carrot).
To build up an appetite, wander the knot of old medieval streets in the historic centre and crow over the vast
views. There are also eight museums in town, the most interesting of which is the
Museo dell'Olio
(Olive Oil
Museum; 093 271 11 11;
www.comune.chiaramonte.rg.it
;
admission €1; 8.30am-1.30pm Mon-Fri,
9.30am-1pm & 3-6pm Sat & Sun) in Palazzo Montesanto. The highlight is an olive press from 1614, but there's
also a collection of old farming tools and other curios relating to rural life.
To get to Chiaramonte Gulfi from Ragusa, the shortest and most scenic drive is via the SP10.
Cava d'Ispica
Stretching for some 13km between Modica and Ispica, the
Cava d'Ispica
( 0932 95 11 33; ad-
mission €2; 9am-1.30pm Mon-Sat)
is a verdant gorge studded with thousands of natural caves
and grottoes. Evidence of human habitation dates to about 2000 BC, and over the millen-
nia the caves have served as Neolithic tombs, early Christian catacombs and medieval
dwellings. A number of rock churches also survive from the Byzantine period. The
canyon, accessible from the Noto side of Ispica (it's signposted off the main Noto-Ispica
SS115), is not always open so check ahead with the Modica tourist office.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Ragusa
POP 72,755 / ELEV 502M
Set amidst the rocky peaks northwest of Modica, Ragusa is a town of two faces. Sitting on
the top of the hill is Ragusa Superiore, a busy workaday town with sensible grid-pattern
streets and all the trappings of a modern provincial capital, while etched into the hillside
further down is Ragusa Ibla. This sloping area of tangled alleyways, grey stone houses
and baroque
palazzi
is effectively Ragusa's historic centre and it's quite magnificent.
