Ragusa Cathedral

Ragusa, Italy

Ragusa Cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. The present church dates from the early 18th century. It has been the seat of the Bishops of Ragusa since the establishment of the diocese in 1950.

A church of San Giovanni Battista stood before the 1693 Sicily earthquake in the west of the old town of Ragusa (Ragusa Ibla) under the walls of a medieval castle, where there now stands the church of St. Agnes.

Severely damaged by the earthquake, it was rebuilt at the center of the new upper town of Ragusa in the district of 'Patro'. On 15 April 1694 the foundation stone was laid. The church was finished after just four months, so that on 16 August the same year it was opened for worship in a solemn ceremony which was attended by all the elders of the County. The short time it took for the building indicates that it was a small church, inadequate to the needs of the new district.

In 1718, therefore, the construction on the site of a larger church began. Two master builders of Acireale, Giuseppe Recupero and Giovanni Arcidiacono, oversaw the project, and some architectural details of the church of San Giovanni are typical of the Baroque monuments of Acireale and Catania, such as the monumental Baroque main entrance with rusticated columns, which has significant similarities with the marble door of Acireale Cathedral.

The interior dates from the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1950 the church became the cathedral of the newly created Diocese of Ragusa.

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Details

Founded: 1694
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Stefan Tudor (13 months ago)
I would say it is the most beautiful church in town, the interior design is full of interesting details. Exterior part also nice to enjoy as there has been a lot of work placed in this building. Now the best part and something that you can't miss from the city is the view from the top of the bell tower, you get a really nice view and it give you a feel of how the city looks like and a view of how the old part of town will feel.
Khodor Husseini (14 months ago)
Cathedral of Saint Giovanni in Ragusa, Italy, is a stunning example of Baroque architecture, with its intricate facades and grandeur. This historic cathedral is a must-visit for its ornate interiors, impressive artwork, and a panoramic view from its bell tower. Explore the rich history and cultural heritage of Ragusa through a visit to this magnificent religious landmark.
Markus Zimmermann (16 months ago)
Date 2023-02-03 Friday ca. 14:30 After the 'strange' Experience in a Trattoria closeby, I had to catch up my missed Thanks Prayer for the Lunch Meal. When I entered the Cathedral, I didn't noticed a Holy Water Font. In roman catholic Liturgy Believers dip their Fingers in Holy Water before crossing themselves when entering and exiting a Church. Was the Holy Water Font empty / removed because of Covid-19 Infection Risks ? Or perhaps I overlooked it ? So, first I did my Dononation, I lit a Candle, and then I prayed kneeling faced to the main Altar the biblian (old, shortened) Version of the 'Paternoster' (Lord's Prayer): 'Father, your Name shall be holy ... Give us Bread that we need each Day. And forgive us our Wrong-Doings, as we also forgive all those who do wrong to us. Amen (Verily - So be it).' Being baptized roman catholic, I am familiar with the Rituals of this Creed. But I hadn't seen in any other catholic Church such a large Number of Confessionals. Since Ragusa isn't a big City and in former Times most probaply there used to be even fewer Residents, I wondered whether here People sinned more than anywhere else and whether therefore they had to confess more often. Who knows ? At Maria's Chapel I prayed the little Marian Divine Office. Although being male, 'Maria' is one of my middle Names. Since the 18th Century (about at this Time this Cathedral was build) also a catholic Peculiarity ... Howsoever, it's a beautiful baroque Cathedral with all the Splendor of this Era. The Information Boards at the Chapels I noticed positively. Not all Visitors are familiar with Christianity, Catholicism, Saints, Relics etc. Unfortunately, the Information Panels don't have a matte, anti-reflective Surface. This would ease the Reading. Also Descreptions in e.g. arabic, chinese, hindi etc. could help Non-Christians to understand this Faith better. Anyway, this Cathedral (because of episcopal See not 'just' a Church) is worth seeing, and therefore from me a 5 Star Review. P.S.: My far east asian Wife is a Buddhist. Neither a Temple nor a Church a.s.o. is 'just' a Tourist Attraction. In a House of Worship, every Visitor should behave respectfully. And if - just for an Example - a Jew would pray his Creed in a Mosque and a Muslim prayed his Creed in a Synagogue, then the entire World would be a lot much better already. Jews, Christians and Muslims refer to the same Progenitor: אַבְרָהָם - Abraham - Ibrahim إبرَاهِيم I can't figure out, what the 'Problem' is in between these 3 monotheistic Religions. But even within one Creed - for Example Catholics and Protestants or Sunni and Shiites - there were and still are mercyless Fights. Teaching Peace, but preaching Violence don't go together. For me there are no Disbelievers, there are only different Faiths - Done. P.S.S.: On Malta, which is only about 90 km away from southern Sicily, sometimes there are 2 Church Clocks. One Clock shows the correct Time, the other Clock shows the wrong Time to confuse the Devil.... and some Clockworks tick wrong or are just broke ... Figuratively it seems that some People didn't notice the Signs of the Times. Let alone what Century 'we' live in. No matter if hindu, jewish, buddhist, christian, islamic etc. Calendar, and no matter if this Calendar follows the Course of the Moon or the Course of the Sun ...
Cristian Pasarica (16 months ago)
great small town baroque situated on top everything is open until 1:00am
Marcelo Marques Aímola (17 months ago)
Beautiful cathedral, from the inside and also from the outside. Nce place to visite with time to appreciate inside and mor etime to have a coffee/lunch/dinner in front of it, where you find good options.
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