Ortygia

Ortygia

Ortygia is the ancient island heart of Syracuse (Siracusa) in southeastern Sicily, Italy — a UNESCO World Heritage Site where 2,700 years of Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman, and Baroque civilisation are layered into a single compact urban fabric.

History

Founded by Corinthian colonists around 734 BC, Ortygia was the original nucleus of Syracuse, once one of the most powerful cities in the ancient Mediterranean. The city rivalled Athens in culture and ambition. Its most striking legacy is the Temple of Apollo (565 BC), the oldest Doric temple in Sicily, and the Cathedral of Syracuse, where an entire Greek temple to Athena (5th century BC) was absorbed into the Baroque facade and nave in the 7th century AD. UNESCO inscribed the site in 2005 as part of the Late Baroque Towns of the Val di Noto ensemble.

What to See

Walk the Cathedral Piazza, framed by the magnificent Baroque facade of the Duomo incorporating ancient Greek columns still visible along the walls. The Fonte Aretusa, a natural freshwater spring beside the sea, appears in Greek mythology as a nymph transformed by Artemis. The Castello Maniace guards the southern tip of the island. The daily fish market at Piazza Cesare Battisti bursts with colour each morning. The island's narrow Baroque streets, palazzi, and waterfront Lungomare complete the setting.

Getting There

Ortygia is a small island connected by bridges to the mainland city of Syracuse in southeastern Sicily. Catania airport is 60 km north (1 hour by car or bus). Frequent trains link Syracuse with Catania and Palermo.

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