Whoever organizes a trip to Sicily cannot fail to include a stop in Ragusa, one of the most beautiful towns on the island, located on a rocky spur at 385 m. of height.
It is located right on the slopes of the Iblei Mountains and presents well 18 UNESCO sites, among palaces and churches resulting from the reconstruction of the city after the terrible earthquake that struck the whole area in 1693 Val di Noto.
Ragusa, however, also has a less sensational and darker side, linked to anecdotes, curiosities and mysterious legends which only increase the charm of this town in the south-east of Sicily.
Ragusa: legends and stories never forgotten
One of the best known legends in Ragusa concerns the district One Hundred Wells, located along the SP that connects Beddio to Piombo. It is said that two men bought a farm: one of the two owned a snuffbox with devils inside ready to do any job for him. One day the man entrusted the box to his friend because he had to carry out an errand: the friend, unaware of the contents, opened the box to take some tobacco to relax with but, suddenly, the devils came out, ready to do anything for him. Work. To avoid being beaten by these beings, the man entrusted the devils with the task of digging 50 wells on the farm, then another 50 and then a church just outside the center of Ragusa. The construction of the building tired them so much that they fell exhausted: the man then took the opportunity and locked them up in the snuffbox again.
Another legend concerns the famous Church of the Souls of Purgatory di Ragusa Ibla, apparently built by a priest on the site of a palace, inhabited by two young men sent to death because of him. It is said that the priest fell in love with a young girl who however rejected the man of the church: the man then took revenge and hid a Protestant Bible in the house of the young girl and her husband, thus attracting the wrath of the Holy Inquisition upon them. The death of the young couple did not give peace to the priest who decided to demolish their palace, except the private chapel: it is said that the latter is still visible near the altar of the church, therefore dedicated to the two souls of the young newlyweds.
Stories of thieves and treasures
One of the best known legends in Ragusa concerns the birth of Church of the Santissimo Trovato. It is said that in March of the 800th century a certain silversmith named Cassarà, hungry and cold, decided to steal a pyx from the Church of Sant'Antonio. He committed the sacrilegious act and, as he fled, a voice invited him to stop but the man quickly hid the pyx in the ground, and then took shelter inside the Hagia Sophia cave. All citizens went in search of the pyx, finding it there where there was a small light and a terrified dog. Cassarà was also found and brought to the city amidst the angry screams of the citizens: it was decided to erect the current Church of the Most Holy Found on the site where the pyx was found.
Not everyone knows that Sicily is a land full of hidden treasures: they are thought to be hidden objects in times when pirates raged from everywhere. They are called truvatures and they can be free or bound to particular formulas or rites. One day a little girl dreamed of a spirit who invited her to look for one truvature of Church of S. Maria dei Miracolias long as you don't tell anyone. However, the little girl reported everything to her father and together they went to the church to look for the treasure, but they found nothing because the little girl had not kept the secret. However, the Virgin Mary consoled the little girl and made her find the icon depicting the Madonna Child, around which a church with a curious octagonal shape was built in the XNUMXth century.
Another famous story in Ragusa, symbol of the indissoluble bond of a Sicilian with his land, is that of Murad Agha, a young Ragusan who in 1480 was kidnapped by Turkish pirates and taken to Constantinople. Here he was emasculated and became the favorite of Zulima, favorite of Sultan Selim I: on their death in 1521 he entered the army and became a valiant commander, who celebrated his victories by building a large mosque in Libya with the help of Sicilian slaves , which he immediately released at the end of the works.
If you love mysteries and ancestral tales, organize one holiday in Ragusa and take a tour of the most legendary places in the city, including churches, wells, stolen and rediscovered treasures.
© Image by Christopher Down, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
