Travel Guide Syracuse – Siracusa

Syracuse, the birthplace of Archimedes, is an essential stopover because it alone expresses all the cultural variety and complexity of Sicily, from prehistory to the present day. Listen to Maupassant: "It is by this singular and charming little town that one must end an excursion in Sicily. It was illustrious as much as the greatest cities; its tyrants had famous reigns like that of Nero; it produces wine made famous by poets; it has, on the shores of the gulf it dominates, a very small river, the Anapo, where papyrus grows, the secret guardian of thought; and it contains within its walls one of the most beautiful Venus of the world. "It is impossible to resist such arguments. So we'll go and see Syracuse. With its magnificent natural harbour, the present city is divided between the old town, Ortygia, situated on an islet connected by the Ponte Nuovo, and the new town, divided into four districts: Tyche, Epipolis, Achadine and Neapolis, the latter being the most interesting. The city now has 124,000 inhabitants. In any case, it is impossible to come to Sicily without a stopover in Syracuse! A multi-faceted stopover: mythical, cultural, artistic, gastronomic... Not forgetting the shopping: you have the choice of luxury labels, small designer boutiques and souvenir shops. Syracuse, or rather Ortygia, is home to an increasing number of art galleries with occasional exhibitions by guest artists or workshops by local painters open all year round. Don't miss the contemporary art gallery in via S. Licia alla Badia behind the cathedral.