Trabacche cave in Ragusa
The Grotta delle Trabacche , located in the Ragusa area, is a small catacomb dating back to the 4th century AD, excavated in the limestone plateaus of the Iblei Mountains. It is one of the largest caves in the province of Ragusa and is certainly one of the most monumental.
The catacomb consists of a hypogeum, formed by two large adjacent chambers. Inside the hypogeum, two monumental canopied sarcophagi can be distinguished, carved into the rock. These dominate the center of the room and are adorned with columns, also carved into the rock. Along the walls there are other cavities with arcosolie tombs. Other tombs are located below the floor level and are perfectly visible. A hole in the center of the cave lets a beam of light leak out.
The cave is known because it appears in an episode of the famous television drama Il Commissario Montalbano , inspired by the novel " Il Cane di Terracotta ”by Andrea Camilleri.
The entrance to the Grotta delle Trabacche is free, but reaching the site is complicated due to the total absence of road signs indicating the path to follow. To reach the site you have to go to Contrata Buttino, a countryside area characterized by dry stone walls, Mediterranean scrub and farms. With the help of the satellite navigator, you have to go along a dirt road, take a small side road until you reach a pitch used as a parking lot for cars. From this point it is necessary to continue on foot along a dirt path bordered by dry stone walls. There is no sign indicating the route. At the end of the path you reach an iron gate, beyond which there is a vast expanse of uncultivated land where, hidden between dry stone walls and vegetation, there is an iron gate through which you enter the site.
