Vittoria
Welcome to Vittoria, the youngest city in Sicily!
Hello everyone! You are in the municipality of Vittoria, a city located in the free municipal consortium of Ragusa, in Sicily. With its 63,203 inhabitants, Vittoria is the youngest city in the free municipal consortium, founded in 1607. Its checkerboard structure with wide, straight roads is unique and makes it a modern and elegant city. In this brief summary, we will discover together the physical geography, climate, and history of this beautiful city.
Physical geography
Territory
Vittoria is developed on the Vittoria plain, overlooking the Sicilian Channel, between the municipalities of Acate and Ragusa. Its territory was anciently called "Plaga Mesopotamica Sicula," because it was bordered by the Ippari and Dirillo rivers and covers an area of 182.48 km². The city was founded on a very fertile plain called Contrada Boscopiano, at that time, the territory of Chiaramonte Gulfi. To the south of the city is the Aleppo Pine Nature Reserve, along the Ippari River to the mouth. The coasts that overlook the sea are low, sandy, and rarely articulated by rocks.
Climate
The climate in Vittoria is typically Mediterranean, with average temperatures warmer than the rest of the Iblei Mountains territory. The coldest average temperature is recorded in January, while the hottest months are July and August.
History
In the valley of the Ippari River, there are traces of prehistoric settlements dating back to the Bronze Age. At the mouth of the same river and around the coast, there are the ruins of Kamarina, a Greek colony of the Doric Syracuse dating back to the 6th century BC.
The city of Vittoria was founded on April 24, 1607, by Countess Vittoria Colonna de Cabrera. After her husband's death, the countess found herself having to face serious economic difficulties caused by the excessive representational expenses that her husband had incurred during the wedding of Philip III of Spain with Margaret of Austria in 1599. Vittoria Colonna decided to request a royal privilege from the King of Spain for the foundation of a new settlement, which would have allowed her to improve the family fortune. The chosen area was that of Boscopiano (Bosco Plano), where some families already lived in 1583 in Contrada Boscopiano and Serra Rovetto, at that time the territory of Chiaramonte Gulfi.
The royal privilege, granted by King Philip III on December 31, 1606, in Madrid, provided for the rebuilding of the ancient Kamarina under the name of Vittoria, in honor of its founder. The city center was built around the castle and the mother church; after the earthquake that occurred in Val di Noto in 1693, it was expanded and continues to grow to this day.
Conclusion
We have come to the end of our summary about Vittoria. Together we have discovered some interesting aspects of the physical geography, climate, and history of this beautiful city. Vittoria is a modern and elegant city, with a unique checkerboard structure. Its geographical location makes it ideal for those looking for a seaside holiday or those who wish to visit the neighboring municipalities of Acate, Ragusa, Comiso, and Chiaramonte Gulfi. So, if you have the opportunity to visit Sicily, don't hesitate to come to Vittoria!
