Archeological sites of Ragusa
archaeology and history of the archaeological parks of the province of Ragusa
Archeological park of Cava d'Ispica
Cava Ispica is a river valley of 13 km, between the cities of Modica and Ispica. The valley guests the prehistoric necropolises, Christian catacombs, rock oratories, monastic hermitages and various types of settlements.
Archaeological park of Cava Ispica - cave of the Larderia (3rd - 4th century)Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
Grotto of the Larderia
The cave is considered one of the largest funerary complexes of the south-eastern cusp of Sicily. The overall length is about 42 m with about 400 arks.
Archaeological park of Cava Ispica - Il GinnasioUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
The Gymnasium
The Gymnasium was created in Greece for military training but in the Hellenistic period acquired the function of the hall, a meeting room for the community.
Archaeological park of Cava Ispica - rock complex of the fallen cavesUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
The rock complex of the fallen caves
The rooms were articulated in quadrangular caves equipped with necessary services: alcoves, siloes for storing foodstuffs, channels and cisterns for water supply, niches with side recesses for shelves.
Archaeological park of Cava Ispica - The Saints grottoUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
The cave of the saints
The Byzantine-era church is preceded by an open-air vestibule and consists of two rectangular rooms: the larger used for worship and the smaller perhaps used as a sacristy.
Archaeological park of Cava Ispica - rupestrian church of San Nicola (14th century)Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
The church of San Nicola
The cave consists of a small room with a flat ceiling which is accessed from a side entrance. To the right of the entrance is the apse, next to which there is a niche. Traces of five pictorial panels remain on the walls.
Archaeological park of Cava Ispica - rupestrian church of San Nicola - frescoes (14th century)Unione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
On the western wall there is a frescoes of the Madonna and Child of the glykophilousa type with the face reclined on the cheek of the Child. The church has late characters both in the iconographic layout and in the pictorial style and can date back to the fourteenth century.
Archeological remains of Santa Croce Camerina
Byzantine Church And Pirrera Necropolis
This archaeological site is one of the most interesting places of the ancient Christianity (IV-VI century A.D.). Here there is a large cemetery complex and a three-naves basilica with mosaic floors.
The Archaeological Area Of Kaukana And Byzantine Basilica
The ancient Kaukana, located near the modern Punta Secca (the ancient Ras Karan-Rosacambra), in late antiquity (IV - IX century AD) was an important anchorage along the military and ration routes that from North Africa, through Malta, they reached Sicily.
Byzantine Church Of Vigna Di Mare
Built just outside the urban centre of Santa Croce Camerina, the church was part of the great heritage belonged to the ancient site of Kaukanae.
The Church Of Mezzagnone, Bagno Di Mare (9th century) by unknownUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
The Church Of Mezzagnone, Bagno Di Mare
For a long time it was considered a Byzantine church dating between the fourth and sixth centuries AD. However, following some recent archaeological excavations, scholars have discovered a typical Arabian bath, called “hammam”, which was probably built after 852 AD.
The Mirio Byzantine Necropolis (4th century - 5th century) by roman necropolisUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
The Mirio Byzantine Necropolis
The burial complex has been described as a late Roman necropolis of the IV-V century A.D. It consists of open air graves carved into the soft limestone rocks.
Santa Maria of the Valley in Ispica
Of the rock church of Santa Maria della cava only the apse dug into the rock remains, with the earthquake of 1693 the whole part in front collapsed. The current facade is inscribed in a round arch, with commemorative plaques above it.
Rock church of Santa Maria della cava - interiorUnione Nazionale Pro Loco d'Italia di Ragusa
Church of Santa Maria della cava
Inside it seems there are frescoes from different eras, the oldest dating back to the Byzantine period.
Church of Santa Maria della Cava
In the Church there is the affrescoes of the "Madonna and child". Below there are saints, painted later in 1600 and Christ at the column.
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