Scrumpdillyicious: Ragusa Ibla: A Sicilian Baroque UNESCO Jewel

Ragusa is one of the most charming towns in Sicily. Set amid rocky peaks, it's a town with two souls. Sitting on the top of the hill is Ragusa Superiore, a busy town with all the trappings of a modern provincial capital, while etched into the hillside further down is the old town of Ragusa Ibla, a sloping area of tangled alleyways, grey stone houses and baroque churches on handsome squares. The historic centre of Ragusa, Ibla is one of the best preserved in Sicily and is absolutely magnificent. One of south east Sicily's UNESCO-listed Baroque towns, Ragusa was destroyed like the other seven towns of the Val di Noto, by the terrible earthquake in 1693, which were then rebuilt on or beside towns existing at the time of the earthquake.

Together, they represent a considerable collective undertaking, successfully carried out at a high level of architectural and artistic achievement. Keeping within the late Baroque style of the day, they also depict distinctive innovations in town planning and urban building. The Duomo di San Giorgio is the heart of Ibla. With an imposing exterior staircase, it's a architectural jewel. An intrigate maze of stepped streets, exceptionally fine Baroque churches and wonderful cuisine, we bee-lined for Monsù, a delightful French restaurant run by husband and wife team, Heloise and Salvatore. Monsù is the contracted from the French 'monsieur', a title given to 18th-century French-trained Sicilian chefs during the French occupation of Sicily. A culinary crossroads of different cultures, the menu at Monsù blends Sicilian and French cuisine, just like Heloise and Salvatore — she's French and he's from Sicily. Conquered by Salvo's cuisine, and pampered by Heloise's gracious hospitality, lunch at Monsù was a highlight of our day in Ilba.

Giardino Ibleo is a serene public garden built in the 19th century at the eastern end of town

With majestic views over the valley below, the quiet park is a popular spot

Flowers in bloom in the park

Reclining figure of Poseidon beside Chiesa di Sant'Agata

Sicilian Pyracantha with yellow berries

Chiesa di San Giacomo Apostolo

The false dome in trompe-l'oeil style

The bell tower with high-relief of San Giacomo represented as Matamoros with his sword drawn, and depicted on an horse while trampling a dragon

The long avenue is flanked by tall palms and opens up to a wonderful well-tended park, with carved stone benches, columns and an elegant panoramic balcony

Local painters set up their easels in the park on a quiet Sunday afternoon

Brush in hand in the tranquil gardens

Local Café on Corso Italia

Fresh squeezed pomegranate juice is enormously popular in Sicily and in fact contains more antioxidants than any other fruit juice

The Baroque-style Chiesa di San Giuseppe dates back to the 1700s and was constructed atop an earlier church, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1693

The oval-shaped elaborately stuccoed interior dates from 1793

Corsa Italia is the main street through Ragusa Ilba

We stopped for a cold Birra Messina in Piazza Duomo

Salted peanuts and a cold beer — lovely

A little girl exploring the piazza with her anxious father just a half step behind

Duomo di San Giorgio is one of the greatest expressions of baroque–style sacred architecture

The extravagant convex facade rises like a three-tiered wedding cake, supported by gradually narrowing Corinthian columns and punctuated by jutting cornices