Comiso is a small Baroque city in the Province of Ragusa, set in the Valle dell’Ippari where cultivated land, quarry landscapes and the first hills of the Monti Iblei meet. Its historic centre is marked by white-stone lanes, stairways and a late Baroque character that reflects the rebuilding that followed the earthquake of 1693.
The town’s identity reaches further back than its Baroque appearance. The surrounding territory preserves traces of very early settlement, while tradition links the area to survivors from Kasmenai; later phases include Byzantine development, Norman and Aragonese rule, and the period of the Naselli family, when Comiso expanded beyond its medieval walls. Historical forms of the name include Comicio and Yomiso, the latter recorded by Idrisi with the meaning “head of water”.
Today, Comiso is distinctive for the way its pale local stone, Ippari valley setting and layered historical memory sit together in a compact Sicilian townscape.
Patron Saint:
Saint Blaise (San Biagio) – 2nd Sunday in July
Nearest Airport:
Comiso (Pio La Torre) – (2 km, 00:03)
Neighboring Cities:
