Ibleo museum of emigration in Giarratana

Il Ibleo Museum of Emigration in Giarratana it is part of the network made up of the Sicilian Emigration Museums, which want to bring to mind the stories of all those citizens who left their native country to seek their fortune elsewhere, often abroad. Visiting it is equivalent to taking a dive into the past to discover your origins. So here's everything you need to know about Giarratana and Ibleo museum to best organize your visit.

History of the Ibleo Museum of Emigration in Giarratana

The history of the Ibleo Museum of Emigration in Giarratana is actually closely linked to that of the town. However, its existence is very recent as the exhibition rooms were inaugurated only in April 2012. Since that year, however, the collections on display have been enriched with many different elements, also thanks to the collaboration of the numerous relatives of the emigrants who wanted to donate objects so as not to lose an important memory.

The birth of the Ibleo Museum of Emigration in Giarratana was strongly desired not only by the municipal authorities but also by the citizens, who have always experienced the scourge of the emigration of their young people as a deep pain, a phenomenon which in some ways continues even in the modern even if in different ways.

Architecture and any works of art present in the Ibleo museum in Giarratana

The Ibleo Museum of Emigration in Giarratana is located on the mezzanine floor of a historic building which is known by the name of Barone Palace, or Palazzo della Cultura, given that it also hosts this museum exhibition. In the large rooms of the building, testimonies of emigration are preserved not only of those who, born and lived in Giarratana, decided to leave their native land to seek work and fortune elsewhere.
The village, in fact, like many others in Sicily, has experienced the plague of emigration and has seen its population drastically reduce in recent centuries. The collection includes letters, photographs, accessories and objects from the daily life of the emigrants, both what they decided to leave at home at the time and what they brought on the journey which was very often long, arriving across the ocean. Inside the museum they can often also be viewed temporary exhibitions focused on the same topic.

What is possible to do in the surroundings or inside the Ibleo museum in Giarratana

Giarratana has the distinction of being the smallest municipality located in province of Ragusa. Despite this, however, the village really has a lot to offer visitors who decide to reach the town to visit the Ibleo Museum.

Definitely not to be missed is a visit to Basilica of Sant'Antonio Abate and Mother Church of the Santissima Maria Annunziata: they are both located in the historic center of the town and were built when the inhabited village arose, therefore between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The construction of the castle, which is located on a hill overlooking the town, dates back to 1703: it is known by the name of Giarratana castle and it was commissioned by the then feudal lord Girolamo Settimo who transformed it into his main residence. Unfortunately today only a few ruins remain of the castle but it is still a suggestive area to visit, also for the beauty of the view from the top of the hill.

How is it possible to get to Giarratana

By car:, those who leave from Ragusa, Trapani, Agrigento or Catania to reach the Ibleo Museum of Emigration in Giarratana can take the Ss194, while from Palermo we recommend taking the A19 first and then the E932. From Messina we recommend following the A18, from Caltanissetta the Ss626, from Siracusa the Sp14. Finally, from Enna the best route is along the Ss117 bis.

Giarratana is not a village with its own railway station, so those who wish to move around on the train they will have to refer to the Ragusa station, to that of Vizzini or to that of Comiso and then continue the journey to their destination with the lines of bus numbers premises made available by the AST company.