RIBERA
The city of Ribera is located in the province
of Agrigento, at 223 metres asl between the Verdura and Magazzolo valleys; it
stands in the so-called Plain of San Nicola, a former fiefdom that in the first
half of the 1600s belonged to the Prince of Paternò Luigi Guglielmo Moncada.
The Duke of Ferrandina Giuseppe di Toledo successively became the Lord of the
town that would annex many of the lands in the surrounding area.
Agriculture is the town’s main industry,
notably involved in the cultivation and marketing of the Washington Navel
orange – here introduced by emigrants returned from the United States – and
strawberries. Such businesses are enhanced both by excellent climatic and
environmental conditions and a supporting policy by the local authorities.
Ribera has much to offer both historically and
artistically. Among its major attractions are the birthhome of statesman
Francesco Crispi, the 1700’s Mother Church and the 1800’s Palazzo
Municipale.
The city surroundings are as much interesting.
Only few kilometres away are the ruins of the 1300’s Castle of Poggio Diana,
consisting of a battlemented circular tower and a square one. Originally built
by Guglielmo Peralta, the castle successively belonged to the Counts of Luna.
It has a dominant position over the gorge dug by the Verdura River. A 13th
century necropolis stands nearby, home to some thirty tombs.
Several close naturalistic sites are available
for excursions. Among these is the Borgo Bonsignore, a village founded
under the Fascism – as part of the “colonization” policy that encouraged the
creation of new villages – grown as a summer resort.
The Platani river, the third Sicilian river,
flows nearby. It has enormously contributed to developing both farming and
tourism in the area. Its mouth has been designated as a Nature Reserve.