qirat · events · ragusa · experiences
Qirat in Ragusa: summer evenings among the olive trees of Tenuta Chiaramonte
A sunset over the Hyblaean hills, a glass of wine, something good to eat and music that starts when the sun goes down. Qirat is the simplest way to experience the estate in summer.
If you searched for "Qirat Ragusa" and landed here, the short answer is this: Qirat is the open-air space of Tenuta Chiaramonte, in Contrada Gisolfo, where in summer the estate opens its evenings to anyone who wants to watch the sun set among the olive trees with a glass in hand. No dining room, no walls: a lawn, century-old trees, lights hanging from the branches and the Irminio valley sloping down towards the sea.
The long answer is below: what to expect, where it is, when it is open, how to book and why it has that name.
What Qirat is
Qirat was born as the estate's summer interlude. The Le Gramole restaurant remains the heart of the kitchen, the Relais the hospitality; Qirat is the third thing, the lightest: an outdoor evening space designed for living summer nights slowly, with good food and music.
In practice, an evening at Qirat goes like this:
- The sunset aperitivo. You arrive while the sun is still high over the Hyblaean hills, take a seat among the olive trees and wait for it to go down. The glass comes from the selection curated with A Vineria in Ragusa, who look after wines and glasses with us.
- Something good to eat. Boards and simple dishes from the same pantry as the restaurant: our extra virgin olive oil, the estate's dressed olives, preserves, cheeses and cured meats from the network of Hyblaean producers we work with.
- Music when the sun goes down. Guitar and voice, jazz duos, themed nights: the programme changes week by week and is the liveliest part of Qirat.
- Events. Private dinners, parties, weddings under the olive trees and, since 2026, the evenings of the Festival della Fioritura.
It is not a place for a quick drink. People who come to Qirat stay: the phrase we hear most often is "let's stay a little longer".
The Festival della Fioritura 2026
In summer 2026 Qirat hosted the three evenings of the Festival della Fioritura, a cultural festival bringing together theatre, music, dance and nature. Each evening began with an immersive walk through the estate, continued with a convivial moment and closed with a performance. The final night, on 2 September, brought actor Massimo Venturiello on stage with La prima indagine di Montalbano, accompanied by mandolin and mandola, after a sunset aperitivo and jazz from the Just in Time duo.
That is the idea behind Qirat: a space where art meets the land, not just somewhere to have a drink.
Where Qirat is
Qirat is inside Tenuta Chiaramonte:
Contrada Gisolfo, SP 81 km 7.400 – 97100 Ragusa (RG), Sicily
It is about ten minutes from Ragusa along provincial road SP 81, heading towards the Irminio valley. Parking is inside the estate; the entrance to Qirat is signposted from the main gate. Guests staying at the Relais walk there.
For visitors from further afield: Ragusa Ibla is fifteen minutes away, Marina di Ragusa and the coast twenty, Modica and Scicli half an hour. Qirat works beautifully as the end of a day at the sea or among the baroque towns.
When it is open
Qirat is a seasonal space: it lives on summer evenings, from June to September, opening from 7:30 pm on scheduled nights. Sunday sunsets are the most regular appointment, joined by live-music evenings and events.
Because the programme changes week by week, we do not publish a calendar here that would be out of date within days. Updated dates go out on the estate's and Gramole restaurant's Instagram and Facebook channels; if you prefer, write to us and we will tell you what is on.
How to book
Seats are limited, because the space is designed for comfort, not for filling the lawn. To book a table, a themed evening or a private event:
- Email: info@tenutachiaramonte.com
- Phone: +39 0932 643463
For weddings and private dinners it is best to write a few weeks in advance: summer at Qirat fills up quickly.
Why it is called Qirat
The name recalls the qirāṭ, the ancient Arabic unit of weight that in turn comes from the carob seed: carob seeds, which have a remarkably constant weight, were used to weigh gold and precious stones, and that is where the word "carat" comes from. Ragusa is Italy's carob capital, and the estate's carob trees stand next to the olives, where they have been for centuries. We tell that story in our article on the Sicilian carob.
A small name, about measure and land: it seemed right for a place where the value of an evening is measured in sunsets.
Taking Qirat home
What you taste at Qirat comes from the estate: the DOP Monti Iblei extra virgin olive oil, the Tonda Iblea dressed olives, the capers, the preserves and the Grillo and Nero d'Avola wines. They are all in the online shop, with shipping across Italy and Europe.
Read also
- Experiences at the estate: tastings, mill visits, adopt an olive tree
- Le Gramole restaurant
- The Sicilian carob: oil, balsamic, chocolate and properties
Tenuta Chiaramonte is an organic farm in Contrada Gisolfo, Ragusa: 99 hectares of olive groves, vineyards and carob trees in the Irminio valley, with its own oil mill, restaurant, Relais and direct sales through the online shop.
