Marina di Ragusa

Marina di Ragusa
Frazione
The seafront by night
Marina di Ragusa Location of Marina di Ragusa in Italy
Coordinates: 36°47′5″N 14°33′1″E / 36.78472°N 14.55028°E / 36.78472; 14.55028Coordinates: 36°47′5″N 14°33′1″E / 36.78472°N 14.55028°E / 36.78472; 14.55028
Country	Italy
Region	Sicily
Province	Ragusa (RG)
Comune	Ragusa
Elevation	8 m (26 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	3,468
Demonym(s)	Mazzariddàri
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	97010
Dialing code	(+39) 0932
Patron saint	Santa Maria di Porto Salvo

Marina di Ragusa, also known as Mazzarelli, is a southern Italian village and hamlet (frazione) of Ragusa, a municipality seat of the homonym province, Sicily. In 2011 it had a population of 3,468, that during the summer gets to over 60,000.

Remains of a Greek settlement of the 5th century BC, when this area was under the control of Kamarina, have been found on the banks of the nearby river Irminio that was used as canal-port. The village was known since the Byzantine era (5th century) when a loading pier was built to export the local products. The Arab geographer El Idrisi writes that during the Arab domination (827-1091) it was called Marsa A'Rillah (small port) and during the years 1584 and 1596 a watchtower known as Torre Cabrera was built by order of the Count B. Cabrera next to the port of the village due to Saracen-ships sailing this stretch of sea. It remained a sleepy fishing village until the 1870s when its port was extensively used for the export of the local asphalt, mined in Ragusa, to numerous European capitals. It was called Mazzarelli until 1928 when the local council changed the name in Marina di Ragusa. During the 1960s, it became a tourist resort, a role which it still maintains today.

Marina di Ragusa is located by the Mediterranean coast of the island of Sicily, directly opposite the island of Malta. It is 6 km from Santa Croce Camerina, 11 from Donnalucata, 17 from Scicli, 24 from Ragusa and 27 from Modica.