Ragusa

The Sicilian city of Ragusa features a population 70,000 and is built upon a limestone hill which is situated between two deep valleys while the origins of the city go as far back as the 2nd century BC. In 1693 due to an earthquake that killed 5,000 people, the city was devastated.

The main spot that one must visit while in Ragusa is the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista whose edifice was destroyed in the 1693 earth quake and when rebuilt was found to be inadequate. Although there are many other spots to see, some of the most noteworthy locations are the Hyblean Archaeological Museum which is devoted to Prehistoric to Late Roman artifacts and the Cathedral of San Giorgio which started construction 1738 but was not finished until 1820 when the dome was placed atop.

There are also a plethora of many notable ancient churches, most of which were partially destroyed in the 1693 earthquake but have been rebuilt since that era to reflect their original statuses.