Marina di Ragusa a Castellana vecchia

Marina di Ragusa in SUP

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MARINA DI RAGUSA

Brief historical notes

Mazzarelli was for centuries the original name of Marina di Ragusa, meaning 'small port'. Like almost all the coastal areas of Sicily, its shores were used for commercial exchanges by sea and it still preserves ancient buildings that have certainly influenced the development of the seaside village.
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In fact, the Cabrera Tower was built to protect trade and is the monument par excellence from which the urbanisation of the town began. Built around the 17th century, it was used to protect trade by sea from constant pirate raids. The small village of Marina di Ragusa developed around the mighty tower, and its economy was based mainly on fishing, agriculture and maritime trade.

The evolution of the village
During the nineteenth century, Marina di Ragusa took on the appearance of a small seaside village inhabited by humble fishermen and peasants. At the end of the 19th century and in the early years of the 20th century, the Ragusan aristocracy began to build holiday homes that are still visible today. There are a number of extraordinarily well-presented late 19th-century holiday homes, such as Casina Nifosì, the Acquilini house, Casina Arezzo, Casina Schininà, Palazzo La Rocca-Impellizzeri and Casina Criscione.
In the twenties and thirties of the 20th century, the present church of Santissima Maria di Portosalvo was begun and completed, while in 1931 the monument to the fallen of the First World War was installed. In 1953 the Lungomare Andrea Doria promenade was built and in the 1960s the Lungomare Mediterraneo.
In 1985 the "Natural Reserve of the Irminio River" was created, only 2 km from the centre of Marina di Ragusa. Today it is made up of the beautiful Mediterranean maquis and a rich and varied autochthonous fauna.
The building expansion started in the last century continues until today, but in the meantime the hamlet has been enriched with hotels, holiday houses, B&B, chalets, restaurants, bars, pubs and various kinds of recreational places.
In 2009, a new marina, one of the largest in southern Italy, capable of accommodating almost a thousand berths, was inaugurated. The marina is also a meeting place thanks to the presence of numerous nightclubs, shops of various kinds and bars. It is also possible to rent cars, motorbikes, bicycles and rubber dinghies for pleasant sea excursions.
In 2011 the old town centre, the famous Piazza Duca Degli Abruzzi, was completely rebuilt and can only be used on foot or by bicycle as it is completely pedestrianised. In the same year, the Lungomare (promenade) between Piazza Duca Degli Abruzzi and the marina was also widened and resurfaced.
In 2016, a cycle path was inaugurated in the western direction of Marina di Ragusa. It is about 2.5 km long, in the stretch of coastline between the marina and the hamlet of Casuzze, passing through the village of Santa Barbara.
The village today
Marina di Ragusa counts four thousand residents during the winter period and more than fifty thousand tourists and holidaymakers during the peak of the summer season. In the last few years the town has been considerably enriched with various types of accommodation facilities, as well as chalets, restaurants, pubs and various recreational places, thanks to the constant increase in tourism.
Marina di Ragusa today is a well-known tourist destination that welcomes tens of thousands of tourists and holidaymakers, especially during the summer period, but it is also a destination for several elderly people who come to winter, all thanks to the excellent climate, the clear sea and the beautiful beaches.