Jeremy Dummett, Syracuse, City of Legends
Ortygia, Piazza Duomo
The Maniace Castle
In ancient times, Syracuse was referred to as Pentapolis, or five cities, for its five inter-connecting districts of Ortygia, Achradina, Neapolis, Tyche and Epipoli. These districts still exist, and the modern city has expanded to cover much the same area as in ancient times.
Temple of Apollo
Inland Waterway
Modern Syracuse (Siracusa in Italian) is a medium-sized city with a population of 122,000, the fourth largest in Sicily, and is both a cultural and a commercial centre. The city is head of a province, occupying the south-eastern corner of Sicily, that includes diverse territory including the pre-historic site of Pantàlica, and towns of interest such as Palazzolo Acreide. To the south, the coast road leads to Noto, the city famous for its late-Baroque architecture. Beyond Noto, one enters the province of Ragusa, with its Baroque hilltowns.
Ortygia, Great Harbour
Ortygia, Arethusa Fountain
To the north up the coast, about an hour’s drive from Syracuse, lies the province of Catania. Sicily’s second largest city and its commercial capital, Catania, with its international airport, is situated below Mount Etna, the greatest volcano in Europe.
The main features of Syracuse, the modern city, are as follows:
The ancient monuments are mostly to be found in the following places:
Castelbuono, a small town 20 kilometres inland from Cefalù, is one of Sicily’s forgotten treasures. Developed around a medieval castle and located in a quiet, rural setting, the town contains
Ancient sites are an exceptional feature of Sicily forming a direct link to the people who once inhabited the island. Some of them, located in unspoilt countryside and abandoned for
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