Syracuse ... The Island of Ortigia

Piazza Duomo
One of our favourite places to visit in Sicily is Syracuse and our dog Daisy loves it too.

The oldest and most beautiful part of Syracuse (Siracusa) is located on a small island called Ortigia which is connected to the mainland by three bridges.

The city was formed around 734BC when Archia left Corinth in Greece and arrived in Ortigia where he founded the Greek colony of Syracuse.

Today Ortigia is a vibrant contrast of colours and sounds, the sea with its fishing boats mingling with mega yachts moored in the bay and the ancient craft shops that are interspersed with sleek modern boutiques located on the lower floors of old Baroque palaces. There are historic squares and temples, churches and museums, also seaside restaurants with excellent seafood, all which ensure that Syracuse provides a warm welcome.
Temple of Apollo

Start your visit on Largo XXV Luglio where you will see the remains of the Temple of Apollo. Built in 575BC it is thought to be one of the first Doric temples built in Sicily with an exterior of stone columns. Nearby is Ortigia’s market which is well worth a visit for the atmosphere of farmers and fishermen yelling out the merits of their produce.

Walking up Via Matteotti, a glamourous shopping street, you will reach Piazza Archimede with its fountain depicting the story of the nymph Aretusa who is the symbol of Ortigia, more about her later.

Duomo
Make your way to Piazza Duomo a stunning pedestrian square with chic pavement cafes. Unmissable is the Duomo, one of the most spectacular buildings in Sicily, it was once the Greek Temple of Athena dating from 5th century BC, after earthquake damage it was restored with a dramatic baroque facade in the 7th century AD. The Doric columns and part of the temple are still clearly visible inside and out.

Also on Piazza Duomo visit the church of Santa Lucia where you can admire Caravaggio’s famous painting ‘The Burial of Saint Lucy’. Saint Lucy (Santa Lucia) is the patron saint of Syracuse whose festival day is on 13th December which is when her statue is carried through the town.

From Piazza Duomo head for the seafront and the Fonte Aretusa, a freshwater spring which bubbles up on the shores of Ortigia. Mythical Arethusa was a nymph who was turned into a spring by the goddess Artemis in order for her to escape the unwanted attention of the god Alpheus. Alpheus followed Aretusa and turned himself into a river from the sea so that his water would mingle with hers. It is said that often Greek flowers are seen coming up from the bottom of the spring and that if a wooden cup is thrown into the River Alpheus in Greece, it would reappear in Arethusa's spring in Sicily. There is now papyrus planted here with fish below the spring water and ducks waddling up above.

Fonte Aretusa
A promenade runs from Fonte Aretusa towards Castle Maniace, there are many restaurants along here to choose from overlooking the sea. Castle Maniace was built by Frederick II of Sweden on a narrow peninsula. The castle takes its name from the Byzantine admiral George Maniakes who liberated Syracuse from the Arabs in the 11th century.

Also worth a visit is to explore the Jewish quarter which existed in the skinny alleys of Ortigia, it is still crowded today with medieval houses with laundry hanging from the balconies, you can visit the Jewish baths on Via Giudecca located under the Arabic inspired boutique Hotel ‘Alla Giudecca’,www.allagiudecca.it. The baths are the oldest Jewish ritual baths in Europe. On the same road there is also a Sicilian puppet theatre with a workshop where the puppets are made, also close by a museum dedicated to the history of the Sicilian puppet www.pupari.com. On Via Nizza you can visit the papyrus museum which is a hidden gem.

Jewish Quarter
A personal favourite stop for me is the Fish Art House on Via Cavour where you can find colorful metal or ceramic hand painted fish, the perfect treat to take home as a memory of Syracuse. www.fisharthouse.it

You can also take a boat trip around the island or further afield to sea caves and close by are the beautiful beaches of Arenella, Ognina and Fontane Bianche.

When taking a tour or planning a trip to Syracuse a stop at the Archeological Park is a must. Combine this with a morning visit or an afternoon after exploring Ortigia.

Next blog post; Syracuse …. The Archeological Park

Photo Gallery:

The Island of Ortigia

Piazza Duomo ... another Daisy Sicilian adventure

Church of Saint Lucy, Piazza Duomo

an abundance of Lemons

towards the Seafront and Fonte Aretusa

towards Castle Maniace

Fonte Aretusa

Arancini for Lunch 

Island Life

Cannoli Time for Daisy


Ortigia

The Fish Art House


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