Ispica, called “Spaccaforno” in ancient times, is a charming town in the province of Ragusa and a few kilometres from the sea, which dominates from high ground. In the town centre, rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake, you can lose yourself strolling between majestic buildings, monumental churches, and wide streets.
The sites of greatest interest are the Chiesa Madre, the Palazzo Bruno di Belmonte, the Monument to the Fallen, and the church of S. Maria Maggiore, wrapped in the embrace of the wonderful Loggiato del Sinatra. One of the main attractions is its picturesque, live nativity scene – one of the most beautiful and visited in Sicily.
Ispica is also an interesting prehistoric station for archaeological finds, from which you can reach the Parco archeologico della Forza at Cava d’Ispica, through hundreds of steps carved into the rock, and admire traces of Byzantine frescoes, Siculan and Byzantine necropolises, and Christian catacombs.
Let yourself be captivated by the fine, golden sand and crystal-clear waters of its Blue Flag beaches: Santa Maria del Focallo, Porto Ulisse and Ciriga, immersed in the Mediterranean bush.
Don’t miss
Palazzo Bruno di Belmonte
Considered the most important Liberty-style building in the Ibleo province, it was built in 1906 designed by Ernesto Basile. With its angular towers, loggias, vibrant mouldings, and many-coloured terracotta decorations, it looks like a castle standing out in the urban landscape.
Santa Maria del Focallo
A corner of earthly paradise, about eight kilometres of unspoiled splendour located between the southernmost tip of Sicily and the area of the so-called Montalbano territory, which unfolds around Scicli. An extremely thin and soft golden sandy beach awarded a coveted Blue Flag by the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education).
Loggiato del Sinatra
Impressive and unexpected, it is located in the square in front of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and was designed by Vincenzo Sinatra. It is its semi-elliptical structure with twenty-six openings, modelled on Bernini’s colonnade at St. Peter’s that makes the entire architectural structure unique throughout the Val di Noto.
Punta Ciriga
The sea cliffs of Punta Ciriga are in the southeast of Sicily in the Ispica region and are characterised by cliffs and turquoise waters that break onto the white sand and white rocks. It is a Blue Flag beach, and with its small coves and towering cliffs it is the perfect place to rediscover the beauty of a “wild” and unspoiled coast.
