Centre of Local Culture ISPICA

Centre of Local Culture

ISPICA

DESCRIPTION

Ispica is a town with 15.000 habitants, rebuilt after the earthquake of  January, 11 1963 when at 13,30 the whole town, originally situated in the “Cava d’Ispica”, was totally destroyed, with the Fortilitium (medieval  castle of a local family Statella and numerous churches no more reconstructed. Moreover, the seism generated hunger and plague. Thanks also to the helps of the neighbouring villages, the city was re-built in a plan near the Cava and now is a clean, and pleasant tidy town. The main monuments are of late baroque, when most of the heavy Spanish decorations which characterise most of the early ‘600 churches and palaces in Sicily were mitigated. 

The few meters distance from the modern city and the old settlement of the inhabitants in the “Cava d’Ispica”, now a open air museum, gives a unique and fascinating feeling of the comparison between old and new: town planning, way of living, social class division, spirituality, culture, economy, tastes, (dis)integration between human and natural environment. 

PLACES OF GREAT INTEREST

·       Parco archeologico della Forza, with excavations and archaeological finds from the greek and roman period, medieval and hermites times, until 1693.,

·       Cava Ispica, natural reserve wich is going to take part of Parco nazionale degli Iblei where a cultural guide from CLC will be able to lead a hiking through the caverns and the vestiges of the ancient civilizations.

·       Natural reserves of Pantani, of Maccone Bianco of the Isle of porri, a rock target of underwater excursions, seated at 2 km from the coast.

·       Neighbouring places of very high cultural interest, which worth a trip, like: Noto, Modica, Ragusa, Scicli, the coast, Pachino.

TOURISTIC SERVICES

The CLC is able to offer the experiences  of:

·       kitchen lessons, where realizing the recipe the guest will be introduced into the local heritage;

·       handicrafts productions, framed within the society where they were born;

·       local dances and songs, performed with Ispicese people and representative of the old sense of socialization; 

·       a dinner with local people;

·       a night stay in a private house;

·       a tour of the city directed to give the feeling and to appreciating the local heritage and life.

The visitor will get the unforgettable knowledge of the old and present culture of this part of Sicily in comparison with his own experiences.

ORGANIZED TOURS FROM ISPICA LED BY A GUIDE (half or full day)

·       Transported or trekking tour of the baroque art and civilization and Spanish culture (full day)

·       Transported or trekking full immersion in the natural reserves surrounding Ispica (full day)

·       Transported or trekking involvement in the ancient history witnessed in the canyon of Cava d’Ispica (full day)

·       One or more stays in the sunny beautiful shores around Ispica with an evening in the town enliven by the local people (one or more days)

·       Trekking path inside the history of the events and the natural catastrophes and the magic resurrection of the cities and the land (one or more days).

EVENTS  AND EXPERIENCES NOT TO MISS

1.       Christmas Nativity, on the days 25, 26 e 30 December 2011 and 1, 6 gennaio 2012 from 17,00 to 21,00, where the night is enlightened by more than 50 groups representing the old crafts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTo3dIe_Aqw

2.       Chocobarocco, in Modica, in the first decade of December, a widely renown event centred on the local famous chocolate, and involving all the population of the old city, UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3.       Holy Week rites, organized by two main Ispicese brotherhoods the cavari (red colour) and nunziatari (blue colour): Friday of the previous week, Palms Sunday, holy Thursday and Friday and Easter.

4.       Infiorata (flowered) di Noto, on the 3^rd week of May, where an elegant street is covered by a carpet of beautiful designs made of flowers and many celebrations are organized around it.

5.       Vittoria Jazz Festival & Cerasuolo Wine, on the two central weeks of June, with concerts, jazz lessons, jam sessions and eno-gastronomic events.

6.       International Festival of the Border Cinema in Marzamemi, the last week of July, when the whole village is an open air cinema with representations and cultural events.

7.       Fish festival of Pozzallo, in mid-August, with slow food, musical, street artists shows events.

8.       Ibla Buskers Festival, in Ragusa, where the street artists perform different shows if the circus art.

CONTACTS
Persons of contact:

Salvatore Boncoraglio : salvatoreboncoraglio@tiscali.it  tel. +39 331.5777101

Katia Pioggia: katia_pioggia@yahoo.it tel. + 39 0932 952314