Portal of San Giorgio in Ragusa
The Portal of San Giorgio is what remains of the ancient church of San Giorgio destroyed by the earthquake of 1693. At that time the church of San Giorgio stood at the east end of Ibla, near the current Iblei Gardens.
The ancient church was built starting from 1349 by the will of the Chiaramonte family. During its construction it was enriched, thanks to donations from local nobles, by various works of art, some of which can still be admired in the Museo del Duomo .
The portal is in Gothic-Catalan style, decorated with a bundle of six small columns on a raised base with multiple foliated capitals on which are set rings of staggered pointed arches that sink in steps. The lunette above the architrave represents the holy knight who pierces the dragon, with the queen of Berito, kneeling watching the scene. On the sides of the pointed arch there are two large lozenges, inside which the Ragusan eagle is housed. On the arches, openwork decorations with images of leaves and animals, at the base of the ferrule are represented the iblei crafts of ancient tradition including the honey making. At the center of the pointed arch a cross worked with openwork with floral decorations.
