From Ragusa we continue heading North to Chiaramonte Gulfi.
Chiaramonte Gulfi is at an altitude of 668 metres above sea level with its highest point is on Monte Arcibessi and the frazioni of Piano dell’Acqua, Roccazzo and Sperlinga at over 900 metres above sea level. The area is replete with archaeological remains from the Bronze, Hellenistic, Carthaginian, Roman and Byzantine eras. The city was founded in the 7th century BC by the Greeks and then called Akrillai. Later changed to Acrillae by the Romans. In 827AD Asad ibn Al-Furat destroyed Acrillae and rebuilt another city with the Arab name Gulfi, meaning ‘pleasurable place’.
Chiaramonte Gulfi is also known as the Balcony of Sicily due to its outstanding panoramas all the way to the Mediterranean Sea to the south and Mount Etna to the North. Caltagirone, the Citta Jacopea, is also visible from Chiaramonte Gulfi towards the west.
Chiaramonte Gulfi started to prosper again after the Vespri Siciliani (the War of the Vespers) under the stewardship of Manfredi Chiaramonte in the late 13th century.
Badly damaged by the 1693 earthquake, it was rebuilt in the 17th century.
From Chiaramonte Gulfi the road continues to Monterosso Almo following the .gpx route.