Hyblean Garden in Ragusa
The Hyblean Garden extends in the lower part of Ibla and overlooks the Irminio river valley.
The garden is characterized by the coexistence of a botanical heritage and architectural relevance such as some monumental churches, a museum and the remains of walls and pavements prior to the 1693 earthquake. In particular, in the garden there are: the church of San Domenico, which has a bell tower decorated with majolica; the Church of San Giacomo; and the Church of the Capuchins to which the Diocesan Museum is annexed which preserves the Triptych by Pietro Novelli, one of the most valuable paintings preserved in Ragusa.
The garden was built at the behest of three wealthy citizens i whose names are mentioned in a plaque located on the outer perimeter wall of the Capuchin convent.
The garden has a main avenue, called Viale delle Palme, and is made up of three parts corresponding to the different phases of its construction.
One the first part constitutes the original nucleus of the garden. This area is characterized by the majestic specimen of Ulmus minor at the entrance, the long Viale delle Palme, flanked by 50 specimens of Phoenix canariensis, the Viale delle Colonnine, with specimens of Cercis siliquastrum.
From the Capuchin church you enter the second part of the garden built according to a typical taste of the early twentieth century, with geometric flower beds arranged around a circular basin. A connecting element is represented by the hill, a typical component of the late-romantic garden, with a small rotunda which is accessed by two winding stone stairways bordered by shrubs of Medicago arborea, another Mediterranean essence.
The third area consists of from the pine forest, also known as Boschetto della Rimembranza.
