Ispica

Ispica
Asvestocàminos (Greek)
Comune di Ispica
Coat of arms of Ispica
Location of Ispica
Map
Ispica is located in Italy
Ispica
Ispica
Location of Ispica in Italy
Ispica is located in Sicily
Ispica
Ispica
Ispica (Sicily)
Coordinates: 36°47′N 14°54′E / 36.783°N 14.900°E / 36.783; 14.900
CountryItaly
RegionSicily
ProvinceRagusa (RG)
FrazioniSanta Maria del Focallo, Marina Marza
Government
 • MayorInnocenzo Leontini
Area
 • Total100 km2 (40 sq mi)
Elevation
170 m (560 ft)
Population
 (31 August 2017)[2]
 • Total16,302
 • Density160/km2 (420/sq mi)
DemonymIspicesi
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
I-97014
Dialing code+390932
Patron saintSS. Maria vergine del monte Carmelo
WebsiteOfficial website

Ispica (Sicilian: Spaccafurnu, Latin: Hyspicae Fundus) is a city and comune in the south of Sicily, Italy. It is 30 kilometres (19 mi) from Ragusa, 50 kilometres (31 mi) from Syracuse, and 90 kilometres (56 mi) away from La Valletta, on the coast of Malta. The first mention in a document of Ispica occurred in 1093, in a list of churches and ecclesiastic departments for administrative purposes, but the territory has been colonized since the Bronze Age.

The 16th century St. Francis monastery in Ispica precedes the Baroque architectural period

The city is located on a hill. The main economical activity consists of farming and organic products, especially carrot, zucchini, tomatoes, olives, vineyards. Ispica is the largest producer of organic carrot in southern Italy with about 18,000 tons of annual production. There is 10 kilometres (6 mi) of coastline, most of which is sand and dunes, and an island (Porri island) at 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the coast.

The town also hosts examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture such as the Vincenzo Sinatra's Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, the Annunziata Church, the Carmine monastery, and the St. Barthelemy cathedral.

Ispica was destroyed by the 1693 Sicily earthquake and rebuilt on its present site.

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.