As we stumbled through the winding streets of Ragusa Ibla, we came across the building that once housed a high society club entitled “Circolo di Conversazione.” This building served as a meeting place for the aristocratic elite, where conversation and luxuries were enjoyed away from the ordinary masses that cohabited the city. This division between the well-to-do and downtrodden demonstrates a second but equally important contrast in the historical fabric of Sicily. As we learned earlier at Racalmuto, Sciascia comments on the extraordinary social disparities between the miners and aristocrats. (Clearly his observations extend across Sicily.)
