The Sicily road-trip: Siracusa & Ortygia

Travel Date: October 2017

About 45 min from Catania by road is the historical province or commune of Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian).

Syracuse, the capital of the province designated as a UNESCO heritage site, was founded by the ancient Greeks over 2,500 years ago as one of the many city-states, as the Greek settlers and civilization spread through Europe.

It later became part of the Roman and Byzantine Empire.

Syracuse and its historical old town in the island of Ortygia has a mixture of monuments built during the Greek and Roman periods and is an interesting mix of cultures and architecture. Many would recommend spending at least a full day around Syracuse, if not more. A day is what we did and these are some of the sights to see.

The Temple of Apollo was said to be one of the largest Greek temples in all of Sicily. Today, almost nothing remains and we walked past it a few times before discovering it, almost accidentally.

In front of the Temple of Apollo in Ortygia

The fountain of Artemis / Diana is in Piazza Archimedes, a square dedicated to the mathematician and physicist, who was born in Syracuse. The fountain dates back to the 9th century and tells the story of the nymph Arethusa, chased by the Greek river god Alpheus.

The Syracuse Duomo or cathedral is an example of the mixed architecture found in Syracuse. It is said to have been built on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Athena that was built in 480 B.C. and the Doric columns that held up the original temple can still be seen inside, holding up the cathedral.

 

 

Fonte Aretusa is a fountain originating in a freshwater spring that has created a small pond where papyrus grows (apparently the only place where it grows in Europe).

A short walk back from Ortygia into Syracuse brought us to the Neapolis Archaeological Park, (tickets 10 Euros) containing both Greek and Roman ancient architecture, side by side.

The Greek Amphitheater dates back to the 5th century B.C. and was among the largest built, accommodating up to 15000 spectators.

The Ear of Dionysus is one of the more interesting attractions at any historical site I have visited. This 23-m high cave, shaped like a ear amplifies even the lowest sounds. The kids and adults had a lot of fun screaming and shouting or singing 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.

  

Parking in Syracuse and Ortygia can sometimes be a problem, especially in the busy season, as can be the circuitous one-way streets. It is a good idea to look up directions to Parking Stations in Ortygia and Syracuse ahead of time.

We picked Parking Talete (Parking TALETE, Lungomare di Levante Elio Vittorini, 96100 Siracusa SR, Italy) as it was the first parking station in Ortygia and walking distance from the historical sites.

Parking for the archaeological park in Syracuse is general available on the street. However, depending on the time of day you reach the park, you may have to stop a fair distance away and walk to get there.

Apart from the sites described above, part of the experience of Ortygia and Syracuse is just walking around its streets, sitting at a quaint little cafe and taking in the atmosphere.

Syracuse and Ortygia amounts to a long day with lots of legwork but as they say, you need to delve deep for the riches.