In the city of Ragusa in southeastern Sicily, Italy

 "To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to not have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything." — Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

====================================================================
(on the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea) Sicily, one of the most densely populated islands in the Mediterranean, forms -- together with the Egadi, Lipari, Pelagie, and Panteleria islands) --, an autonomous region of Italy. The island is separated from the mainland of Italy by the Strait of Messina; its capital is Palermo. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean, Sicily has been luring travelers since the time of legends. The land of the Cyclops has been praised by poets from Homer to Virgil and prized by ancient cultures (Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Elymians, Romans and Greeks). Whether in the classical perfection of Agrigento's Concordia temple, the monumental rubble of Selinunte's columns or the rare grace of a dancing satyr statue rescued from Mazara del Vallo's watery depths, reminders of bygone civilizations are found everywhere.

+ Sicily's landscape makes quite a dramatic first impression. Fly into Catania and the smoking hulk of Mount Etna greets you; arrive in Palermo and it's the sparkling Golfo di Castellammare. This mix of sea, volcano, and mountain scenery makes a stunning backdrop for outdoor activities. Hikers can wind along precipitous coastlines, climb erupting volcanoes, and traipse through flowery mountain meadows, while avid birders benefit from the many species along the Africa-Europe migration route, and divers and swimmers enjoy some of the Mediterranean's most pristine waters. As if its classical heritage weren't formidable enough, Sicily is bursting at the seams with later artistic and architectural gems. In a short walk around Palermo you'll see Arab domes and arches, Byzantine mosaics and Norman palace walls. Make your way to southeast Sicily and you'll find a stunning array of baroque architectural masterpieces, from the golden domes and palaces of Noto to the multi-tiered cathedral facades of Ragusa and Modica. Meanwhile, throughout the island you'll find yourself stumbling upon the evocative remains of Arab and Norman castles. This embarrassment of cultural riches remains one of the island's most distinctive attractions.

+ Featured here is the city of Ragusa in southeastern Sicily, which lies in the Hyblaei Hills above the gorge of the Irminio River, west of Syracuse. The old lower town of Ragusa Ibla (on the site of the ancient Hybla Heraea) is separated from the upper (modern) town by a declivity. Ragusa was the center of an independent county from 1091 until it was united with that of Modica in 1296. The Old Town was destroyed by an earthquake of 1693, after which the new town was built to the west. The two were united in 1926. Ragusa’s impressive Baroque buildings include the 18th-century cathedral and the Basilica of San Giorgio. Some 15th-century fragments survive in the Church of Santa Maria delle Scale and the portal of San Giorgio Vecchio.