Lying in the hills of southern Sicily, minutes to the beaches but in its own world surrounded by vineyards, Vittoria offers city amenities and small town hospitality.
Vittoria is a town and comune in the province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern, Italy. With its 62,748 inhabitants Vittoria is the second most populated municipality of the province of Ragusa after Ragusa.
HIGLIGHTS
1607, it bears her name and enjoyed many privileges bestowed by the noble lady, who ceded lands, provided 10 years free of taxation, and debt immunity. With these incentives, it grew rapidly and consistently, interrupted only by the earthquake of 1693, which caused extensive damage throughout the southern region. It rebuilt and carried on, especially developing its wine trade. Vittoria is famous for a noble vintage called Cerasuolo, a blend of two native grapes, Nero d’Avola and Frappato. It gained famed even in the early 1700s.
Of course, the area had previous civilizations, beginning in the Bronze Age, then the Greeks, Romans and Byzantines. But it was the nobility of the old counts of Modica (from Cabrera Spain) that really brought it to life. The castle dates to 1607.
Don’t miss the Piazza del Popolo, a spectacular space with the beautiful church Santa Marie delle Grazie, and the next-door neoclassical theater with two rows of columns decorating the outside and opulent rows of box seating inside, enhanced by paintings by Giuseppe Mazzone. The church of the Trinita and San Giovanni are both worth seeing.
Sample the wine, of course, but don’t overlook the regional specialties like scacce, which is a type of foccaccia filled with cheese and/or vegetables, and caponata, a dish of eggplant and sweet peppers. The area is still tied to farming, with sweet sundried tomatoes coming from here, along with citrus, olives, and carob.
History
Vittoria is the youngest town in the province and it presents a modern checkerboard structure, with wide and straight streets. The town’s womenfolk are known to still do intricate embroideries, first adopted during the period of Arab rule in Sicily.
Geography[edit]
The town was founded on a very fertile valley known as „Boscopiano“. On the south of the city there is the „natural reserve of Aleppo pines“ (Riserva naturale del Pino d’Aleppo). The coastlines along the sea are low and sandy with rare rocks. The highest point, though poorly mountainous, is Mount Calvo (250 meters). Vittoria is located between the municipalities of Acate and Ragusa, while the hillside is bordered by the towns of Comiso and Chiaramonte Gulfi. It is located 27 km from Ragusa and Gela, 108 km from Siracusa and 131 km from Catania. Vittoria has an altitude of 168 meters s.l.m. and an area of 181.31 km². Its only hamlet (frazione) is the seaside locality of Scoglitti. However, in addition to the urban area, it has 45 different contrade.
Climate
The climate is typically Mediterranean, though slightly higher temperatures are usually recorded when compared to other municipalities in the area, due to the fact the city sits at a lower elevation. The coldest month of the year is January and the hottest July and August.
Economy
Vittoria is an important area in south-eastern Sicily, between the Hyblean plateau and the sea famous for cultivating Nero d’Avola and Frappato – two types of wine grapes destined for very important wines such as Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. The city of Vittoria is home to the largest fruit and vegetable markets in Italy, and is the most important in Europe for tomatoes.
