the history of siracusa

It all started when…

Siracusa (Syracuse in English) is the capital of the Syracusa province in the south-eastern side of the Sicilian island.

Today the city is a rather small one, with 125.000 people living there, but it has an extremely rich past, so rich that the entire city has been added by the UN to the World Heritage.

Most of the city's fame comes from its Greek past: the city was funded in 734 before Christ by Greek colonists. As such, it did not just expand from an ancient village, but was explicitly designed by its founders: this is reflected by the design of the streets and squares in the old city, the island of Ortigia, with narrow and very long street going from the center of the island towards the sea. For about 500 year, during its Greek times, Siracusa was the most important and powerful city in the so called "magna grecia" (great Greece), the name that the Romans gave to Southern Italy after it was colonized by the Greeks. And Greek are also the most important sites in the city:

• the Greek Theater (one of the biggest Greek theater in the world, second only to the one in Athens);

• the Dyonisus Ear (a cave near the Theater from where the stone was extracted and that was also used as a prison. The legend says that the king of the city Dyonisus, sitting on top of the cave, could hear what the prisoners were whispering due to the strong echo);

• In the same big archeological site of the previous two is present one of the biggest altar built, the Ara di Ierone (Ierone's Altar), used for sacrifices to gods (animals not humans).

• The temple of Apollo: a big temple visible at the entrance of the Ortigia island. Today only some columns remain, while the temple was later converted into a church by the Byzantins and a Mosque by the arabs.

• In the island is also present the Aretusa Fountain (A natural well of fresh water that mixes with the sea-water. According to the legend the nynpha Arethusa, in order to escape her lover Alfeo, was transformed into a well)

• Even two of the main buildings of the city, the Cathedral and the city hall (one next to the other in the Piazza Duomo) were former temples. In the cathedral the columns of the old temple of Athena could still be seen today.

The city fought a lot against both the Carthagens (from northern Africa, who never defeated the city) and the Romans, who managed to conquer the city after long battles. Even if less powerful than before, the city was still very strong under the romans, who built, among other things, the Roman Anphitheater: a theater that can be visited next to the Greek one, carved in the stone, where even naval battles were performed when the stage was flooded with water.

The city followed than the history of the island, with Byzanthins, Arabs, Normans and Spaniards rulers. The city also suffered from the earthquake in the 17th century that destroyed the entire eastern area of Sicily and during the rebuilt its architecture was heavily influenced by the Baroque style: as can been seen from the cathedral Facade and the beautiful buildings and churches in the island of Ortigia. Notable is the Norman church of Saint Lucia alla Badia, where a famous painting of Caravaggio (the burial of St Lucy) can be seen.

One other iconic buildings and sights of the city is the Maniace Castle, built by Friedrich II, which heavily influences the city skyline with its majestic walls and towers.

As a punishment for the revolt against the Spanish rulers in 1848 (the Borbons), the City lost the title of capital of the province, which was moved to Noto, until the unification of Italy in 1861.

Nowadays the city suffers from Economic problems, but nevertheless has preserved an unparalleled beauty that make it a must see place in Sicily.

Even today, most of the city's day and night life happens in the island of Ortigia, where the market is certainly to be visited, where some of the best restaurants of the city are and where it's absolutely obligatory to out at night for a glass of wine or a cocktail.