COMISO - Comiso (30,000 inhabitants; 209m a.s.l.; zip
code 97013; area code 0932) stands on a plain at the foot of the Iblean Mountains. The
road leading up to Ragusa, notably the final stretch, provides impressing views of the
Ippari Valley and the coast. The country-side is densely populated, most due to presence
of factories and hothouse plantations. Richest in water reserves, Comiso is among the most
fertile and top agricultural producers of Sicily. HISTORY OF COMISO - Traces of human settlements dating from the Neolithic
Age were discovered in the neighboring hills. The neighboring area known as Cozzo di
Apollo is said to have been the site of Kasmenai, the mysterious Greek town. According to
historical sources, present-day’s Comiso was founded in the area between Kamarina and
Akrai, where ruins of Greek and Roman buildings have been found. Worth-mentioning is a
Roman floor mosaic brought to light nearby the Fonte Diana (Fountain of Diana). An hamlet
known as Comicio and then Jhomiso was growing nearby to become a city under the Aragon
rule. In that time, Federico Speciario, the Lord of the town, ordered the construction of
a group of fortified posts and a castle. The city was ruled by Berengaro da Lubera and
Giovanni Chiaramonte, and then assimilated into the County of Modica. Afterwards, it
passed to the noble Riggio family and to Bernardo Cabrera, Count of Modica, who sold it to
the Nasellis to solve his financial difficulties.
The Nasellis, a local aristocratic family, possessed it till the 18th century,
contributing to its extraordinary economical and social growth, especially during the 16th
century, when, for the important services offered to the Kingdom of Sicily, it even became
a County. Gaspare II Naselli was the first Count. The 17th century saw a political
decline, due, on the one side, to the growth of the close hamlet of Vittoria, that would
draw many Comiso’s peasants and families, and, on the other, to natural disasters,
like a terrible plague in 1624 and the earthquake in 1693. The town soon regained its
former splendor thanks to new sumptuous buildings in the typical Sicilian Baroque style.
The Nasellis also fostered the industrial development: a paper factory was established in
1729, and a soap factory in 1742, managed by Filippo Sallemi and Biagio Guarino, two local
craft-masters trained at the celebrated school of Messina. In that period the Nasellis
encountered financial difficulties, hence forced to sell their properties. Their estates
were acquired by local peasants and landlords.
The feudal system about to end, Comiso and all Sicily were entering a time of deepest
social renewal, politically characterized by the Bourbon’s rise to throne, and later,
by the Italian Kingdom’s annexation of Sicily. During Fascism, a military airport was
established in Comiso, converted into an American missile-base in the eighties and later
disarmed.
ECONOMY OF COMISO - Agriculture is still
Comiso’s main industry. Its fertile grounds are mainly cultivated with early-fruit,
fruit and vegetables that are exported to all Italy. The close market of Vittoria has
played a critical role in the marketing of its products. Nevertheless, industry, here
established earlier than in the rest of Sicily, has well developed. The building industry
is especially important, thanks to the famous Stone of Comiso, exported worldwide. A great
number of factories, including soap and paper factories – that provide evidence for
the earliest industrialization of this area – are scattered across its territory.
TOUR OF COMISO - Comiso has a baroque look almost entirely resulting from
the post-quake reconstruction.
The Naselli castle, an icon of the city, is of Gothic origin, which is shown by two
portals and the orthogonal tower decorated with 14th century paintings. A precious floor
mosaic adorned the entire building and is now preserved in the municipal Library. The
Fontana di Diana, rising in the central Piazza del Municipio, collects the water, once
flowing into the public baths whose ruins lie under today’s Town Hall. The fountain
was completed in 1937 by sculptor Diano from Spoleto.
The Piazza accommodates numerous private and public buildings, among which are the Palazzo
Comunale (the town hall), with a big entrance and a splendid flight of stairs, the Palazzo
Iacono-Ciarcià and the Palazzo Occhipinti, one of the most beautiful buildings in town,
with its elegant baroque façade attributed to Gagliardi (author of the San Giorgio’s
in Ragusa). Remains of floor mosaics and thermal baths were brought to light along the
road connecting Piazza Fonte Diana and Piazza delle Erbe. The latter accommodates the
Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Stelle, whose front elevation rises on three tiers of Doric,
Ionic and Corinthian pilasters. There also is a roofed market, dating from 1871, that
houses the Museo Civico Kasmeneo (Kasmeneo Municipal Museum) – displaying collections
of cetaceous animals and sea turtles – and the Biblioteca di Bufalino (Gesualdo
Bufalino Library), founded by the famous writer, native of Comiso, recently died. The
Chiesa di San Francesco dating back to the 12th century was later enriched with the
Naselli chapel, an impressive specimen of the Sicilian architecture, combining numerous
and diverse styles. The Mother Church, with a splendid façade rising on two tiers of
parastas, and the 18th century three-naves’ Chiesa della Santissima Annunziata
complete the tour. The latter, built on the former Chiesa di San Nicola, has undergone
many restorations and refurbishments. After the 1693 earthquake the works were entrusted
to the celebrated architect Vaccarini, a major author of the post-quake reconstruction of
Catania.
RAGUSA COMISO AIRPORT
Opening soon
IATA Code CIY
Longitude 14° 36'
0" E
Latitude 37° 0'
0" N
The building of the new airport has started the 2005 autumn
and it will take 900 days.
The funding will be provided by Agenda 2000 and it will
amount to € 47,407,976.73.
Comiso is located on the south-eastern coast of Sicily, in the province of Ragusa.
This new infrastructure will help to develop an area of Sicily which, in spite of being
one of the richest of the island, is still quite isolated because of the lack of a
suitable public transportation system.
The new airport, which will link the province of Ragusa to the rest of the world, has
already started to attract the interest of investors towards this area.
The airport will be called "V. Magliocco" and will be the result
of the complete restoration of an old military airport.
The base was built in the years
around 1935-38, but most of the infrastructures which exist today were built between 1983
and 1988, when it became a NATO missile base.
The funding for the restoration was decided on the 8th of June 2004, by Giovanni Lo
Bue, General Manager of the Transportation Department, with his Decree n. 368/Serv.2/2004,
for a total amount of € 47,407,976.73. The new airport will be located at
Cannamellito, in the precinct of Comiso, at about 5 Km north from the village of Comiso
itself and it will occupy an area of about 193,3 hectares.
