Ortigia island

Siracusa, South-east Sicily: you can get there overland or by sea and each way is an unforgettable experience. Not surprising if you think that Cicero called it the largest and most beautiful of all the Greek cities.

Sprawled around a splendid bay, across the New Bridge, is stretches out to it’s original nucleus, the island of Ortigia, the most ancient part of the city, a masterpiece of art and history and a UNESCO world heritage site, founded by Archias a Corinthian noble who, in 734 B.C. defeated the Sicilians and founded the colony of Siracusa.

Followed by one great civilisation after the other, from ancient Rome to the Arabs, from the Normans to the Swabians, from the Aragonese to the Catalans and to the Viceroys, strolling along the streets in the old centre of the city you can find clear traces of all these ancient eras.

The Temple of Apollo, the Arethusa Spring, the Cathedral of Ortigia, the Maniace Castle where time seems to be suspended between the Middle Ages and Baroque days.

Today Ortigia’s cultural life is alive and well and it always has many cultural events, exhibitions and showings to interest visitors. But Ortigia is also a city that lives by night thanks to the many bars, clubs and restaurants on its quaint old streets.