Ragusa can trace its roots back to prehistoric times. In fact the hill where Ragusa Ibla sits today was inhabited in the 14^th century B.C. by the Siculians, the most ancient of Sicilian peoples. Important traces left by these ancient inhabitants are visible in the necropolises that still dot the landscape around Ragusa.

A group of tombs carved into the rock lies alongside the road which leads from Ragusa Ibla to Ragusa, just under the church of Santa Maria delle Scale while another group can be found at the confluence of the Torrente San Leonardo and the Irminio river. This latter group of tombs can be seen from the viewing point in the Giardini Iblei, the park in Ibla.

A 6^th century B.C. Greek necropolis on Rito Hill also testifies to the presence of the Greek colonists from Camarina. It is thought that they traded with the local Siculians there but that the latter retained their autonomy

Local independence was lost however, with the arrival of the Romans in the 3^rd century B.C. Then, in 330 A.D. Sicily became part of the Byzantine realm and remained so for the next five centuries or so. The Byzantines fortified Ragusa and built a castle there. Important catacombs, known as the tre Bacche, from this period can be visited in the Centopozzi area, just outside the city.

In 848 Ragusa was conquered by the Arabs who introduced new and important agricultural techniques and crops, not just to this area, but also to the whole of Sicily.

In 1081 the Normans began their conquest of the island and in 1091 Ragusa fell to them. The Norman, Ruggero d'Altavilla claimed Modica, Scicli, Ispica and Giarratana for himself and conceded Ragusa, with the title of county, to his son Goffredo.

The marriage of the heir to the Sicilian throne, Costanza d'Altavilla to the German Emperor Henry VI signalled the beginning of the Swabian period.

Then 1266 saw the Angevins conquer Sicily only to have to leave a few years later with the revolt of the Sicilian Vespers. The feudal system was reintroduced into Sicily by he Aragonese and the county of Ragusa was granted to the Chiaramonte family. However, the seat of the county was moved to Modica by the Cabrera family in 1448 following an uprising against the feudal lords in Ragusa.

The Cabrera family leased the lands of the county for longer periods than were usual and this encouraged the tenants to improve the holding. The holder was also given the right to export up to 12,000 measures of cereals without having to pay any duty. This benefited them in the long run much more than simple letting would have done.

Landholding then changed from being based on limited rental periods to lifetime leasing and finally to being held perpetually. This allowed for a radical transformation of the local economy, based on the end of the feudal system and the birth of a strong entrepreneurial class: that of the "massari" or farmers.

The land also underwent a radical change. New independent holdings were divided by dry stone walls which are now so typical of the area. This fencing off of the land, using the most widely available material, rocks and stones, allowed for the rotation of crops and livestock.

In 1693 the south east of Sicily was destroyed by a terrible earthquake. Ragusa was hit particularly hard and suffered 5000 of the 60,000 victims. The rebuilding of the city started immediately and while the noble families, devoted to Saint George, preferred to build on the site where the old city had stood, the middle class and the massari, devoted to Saint John the Baptist, preferred to build on the nearby Hill of Patro.