Ortigia Island is a district of the city of Syracuse.
To know
The island of Ortigia is the true historical center of the city. Many of the city's Baroque monuments and historic buildings are concentrated here. The island was also the founding nucleus of the city and today it is the real reference point for tourists.
Geographical notes
The island overlooks the Ionian Sea and is physically connected to the mainland by two bridges. Its oblong shape makes it extend towards the sea, turning the two main sides to the east and west.
Background
The island has always been the heart of the city. The presence of man has been attested since prehistoric times thanks to findings made in Piazza Duomo which showed the presence of tombs and huts. But it is in the Greek era that Ortigia becomes fundamental, with the construction of the two temples still visible: the Temple of Apollo and the temple of Athena. During the tyranny of Dionisio, Ortigia became a fortress, a characteristic that it will maintain in the following centuries. The fortifications surround it separating it from the sea, a condition that will last until the demolition of the Spanish walls with the unification of Italy.
Devastated by the earthquake of 1693, the island is reborn with baroque architecture and with the churches currently visible. In the Fascist era, projects of evisceration were carried out which led to the liberation of the space around the Temple of Apollo and the creation of the current Corso Matteotti.
Other buildings were added in the early twentieth century, but by now the island had already reached the urban form we know today. In the eighties of the last century the island was particularly degenerated, with entire dilapidated buildings. Then, thanks to a recovery plan, renovation and redevelopment works were started also in view of a tourist launch that is now fully underway.
How to orient yourself
Ortigia Island: full screen map.
37 ° 3′37 ″ N 15 ° 17′39 ″ E
Ortigia IslandThe island is connected to the mainland by two bridges: the Umbertine bridge (the oldest bridge) and the Santa Lucia bridge (the newest one). The first square you meet when you reach Ortigia is Piazza Pancali where the empty space of the temple of Apollo stands out. Corso Matteotti begins from this square and ends in Piazza Archimede. Two roads branch off from this square: the via maestranza which leads to the eastern seafront and via Roma which divides the island in half.
Halfway up via Roma there is Piazza Minerva which is connected with Piazza Duomo. To the east we find the east promenade divided by the presence of the Maniace Castle from the west promenade overlooking the Porto Grande.
Neighborhoods
Although not easily identifiable, the island is divided into districts or it would be better to call them districts.
Maniace - The southern area called in Sicilian u casteddu for obvious reasons.
Duomo or matrices - around piazza duomo.
Upset o tubba - east of the cathedral
Giudecca or jureca - In the area where the Jewish ghetto used to be, today nothing remains visible of that presence except the miqwé underground.
Maestranza o Mastrarua - North of this and along the via maestranza
Spittle (lost or scattered) - North of via maestranza and east of via Dione
Bottari - to the west and north of the Duomo
Graziella or raziedda - Located east of the market and identifiable with the area of the former Bourbon prison.
Umbertine district - It is not a historic district and was built in the post-unification era
How to get
By bus
The electric bus goes around Ortigia.
By car
It is accessed from via Malta via the Ponte S. Lucia. On this bridge, however, the beginning of the ZTL insists and if active it is necessary to turn and access via the Umbertino Bridge with which it is possible to reach areas of the island not included in the ZTL.
On a boat
- 1 Marina landing (Public service), Great port, Ortigia. It is the most famous landing place in the city, suitable for large and medium-sized yachts.
- 2 Marina yatching (Private service), Pier Zanagora, Porto Grande, Ortigia, ☎ 39 3341795479, @[email protected]. 150 berths with depths from 7 to 10 meters.
By bike
Going to Ortigia by bike is certainly the best choice as you avoid the constant summer and weekend traffic jams along the Via Malta. Also inside the island you can turn easily and with minimal vehicular traffic.
How to get around
In Ortigia we move mainly on foot being (especially on weekends and holidays) active a large ZTL that limits access to cars (except residents) for large areas of the island.
Residents in Ortigia tend more and more to use the bicycle which makes travel times between one point and another very fast.
The island is served by an electric bus service that goes around the island passing the seafront. The stops are indicated by the columns.
Parking lots
There are few free parking spaces on the island as most are for residents or blue stripes. Checks are quite frequent.
3 Thales parking, eastern seafront, ☎ 39 0931 463289. 
First hour € 0.50, from the second hour € 0.50 every half hour. 
00:00-24:00. 
Automatic ticket office. The parking lot detects the license plate. At the exit, simply type in the license plate and pay the amount. Accepts coins, bills and credit cards. Saturday evenings can be particularly busy when you collect your car, as well as full if you plan to enter at certain critical times.- 4 Marina parking, Viale Mazzini, ☎ 39 09311853510, 39 3895974843. € 2 per hour. 00:00-24:00. Manned parking
First hour € 0.50, from the second hour € 0.50 every half hour. 
00:00-24:00. 
Automatic ticket office. The parking lot detects the license plate. At the exit, simply type in the license plate and pay the amount. Accepts coins, bills and credit cards. Saturday evenings can be particularly busy when you collect your car, as well as full if you plan to enter at certain critical times.What see
Duomo
Syracuse Cathedral
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1 Syracuse Cathedral, Piazza Duomo, ☎ 39 389 5503267, @[email protected]. full 2, reduced 1 €. October-March 9: 00-17: 30; April-June and September 9: 00-18: 30; July-August 9: 00-19: 00. The cathedral of Syracuse is one of the most important and prestigious buildings in the city. It incorporates an ancient Doric temple dedicated to Athena (protector of the city in Greek times) from the 5th century BC. and erected after the victory of the battle of Imera over the Carthaginians by the tyrant Gelone. In the side elevation both the columns and the stepped base are still visible. The columns were subsequently closed for the creation of the present building.
- The baroque façade is after the earthquake of 1693. The sculptures below represent St. Paul and St. Peter, those of the upper order Santa Lucia and the Bishop Marciano. In the center, the Madonna with child. The interiors, compared to the external façade, are rather bare. On the sides the original Doric columns are recognizable. On the right there are some chapels including that of Santa Lucia in which the silver fercolo that goes in procession on 13 December is kept. The decorations of the other chapels and the wooden ceiling are also valuable. At the top, an inscription remembers that the church was the first Christian church in the West.
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The Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia
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- 2 Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia, V piazza Duomo, ☎ 39 0931 65328. free. Tue-Sun 11: 00-16: 00. It is a beautiful Baroque church dedicated to Saint Lucia, once part of a convent of nuns. Today the building is deconsecrated and used to show the only work left by Caravaggio during his stop in Syracuse: the Burial of Saint Lucia.
Beneventano del Bosco Palace
- 3 Beneventano del Bosco Palace, Piazza Duomo. Not open to visitors. The noble building is one of the most renowned in the city, both for the aesthetic value of the building and for its prestige. It was completed in the second half of the 18th century and had the honor of having two illustrious guests, the British admiral Horace Nelson after defeating Napoleon in Abukir with his fleet and King Ferdinand III of Bourbon. The honor of the owner Francesco Beneventano was such as to have a plaque clearly visible on the facade as a perennial reminder.
Vermexio Palace
- 4 Vermexio Palace (Senate building). The palace was erected in the 17th century by the architect Vermexio to be the city government building. The façade has clear Baroque references and above the balcony shows the symbol of Syracuse, the double-faced eagle. If the facade is an aesthetic unicum, the other parts of the building are not. On the side, on Via Minerva it is possible to see the merging of a modern building which has altered its characteristics. But even in the internal courtyard it is possible to see these upheavals.
The graffiti of Vermexio
- In the internal courtyard you can visit the so-called garden of Artemis, recently set up and inside a window the eighteenth-century carriage of the Senate that is carried in procession during the feast of Saint Lucia. Inside it is also possible to visit the Artemision (see section), the foundations of an Ionic temple. Two peculiarities can be found on the external façade: on the ledge on the left, at the corner, you can see a lizard, signed by the architect. While on the right, at eye level, there is a block of stone with an engraving showing the facade of a church. Perhaps the ancient facade of the cathedral?
- 5 Artemision, Piazza Minerva, 11, ☎ 39 329 2417142, 39 0931 450811, @[email protected]. full 3, reduced 2 €. April-September Mon-Sat 10: 00-18: 00 Sun 10: 00-13: 00; October-March Mon-Sat 10: 00-13: 00, 14: 00-17: 00 Sun closed. The Artemision is the Ionic temple under the Vermexio palace. It was aligned with the temple of Athena (the cathedral) whose extension is visible through a black line on Piazza Minerva.
- 5 Artemision, Piazza Minerva, 11, ☎ 39 329 2417142, 39 0931 450811, @[email protected].
The archbishop's palace
- 6 Archbishop's Palace, Piazza Duomo. Located next to the cathedral is a late Baroque building with neoclassical aspects. It was completed around 1800 and has always fulfilled the archiepiscopal function. Inside there is the beautiful Alagoniana Library containing ancient books, but rarely open to the public. Next to the palace is the bishop's garden with citrus trees.
The interior of the hypogeum
- 7 Hypogeum of Piazza Duomo, Piazza Duomo, 14. € 4 (full), € 2 (reduced), € 1 (residents). Occasional opening. This underground path is most famous for being an air-raid shelter during the Second World War. The tunnels created connected the main buildings of the square to the exit on the Marina promenade. The visit partly evokes this story. Some portions of the excavation were already present with a cistern from the Greek era with a cylindrical ceiling. There are also some installations concerning the history of Syracuse.
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Arezzo Palace of the Targia
- 8 Arezzo Palace of the Targia, Piazza Duomo. The building has a curvilinear shape as it follows the elliptical shape of Piazza del Duomo. It has four large portals, each of which is separated by not too elaborate windows. Upstairs there are nine balconies enclosed by ferriate, above them some beams worked with Iblea stone. Ten crenellated-style pillars delimit the structure of the building. A second entrance to the building, different from the main one, shows a large arched door in Baroque style, flanked by two other balconies also enclosed in wrought iron. The building was built by the Arezzo barons, of the local landowners.
Superintendence building
- 9 Palace of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of the Province of Syracuse, Piazza Duomo. The palace, built in the second half of the 1800s, is in the neoclassical style. The facade has a large round door and two floors; on the ground floor there are four large rectangular windows and on the upper floor five round windows, interspersed with eight pilasters with Ionian capitals. It housed the Archaeological Museum, which was later moved to its present location outside Ortigia. Today it is the seat of the Superintendency of Syracuse.
Borgia del Casale Palace
- 10 Borgia del Casale Palace, Via Pompeo Picherali, 10. Tue-Sun 17: 00-23: 30. Eighteenth-century noble palace built by a descendant of the Borgia and Impellizzeri. The interior of the palace features a courtyard, with baroque elements. The interiors are opulent, with several rooms with ceiling paintings. Inside are exhibited eighteenth-century skills. It is also used for receptions and vernissages, as well as ordinary visits.
Montevergini Gallery
- 11 Montevergini Gallery, Via Santa Lucia alla Badia (Next to the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia). This cultural space is a former convent today used for exhibitions and contemporary art events organized by the municipality. A short distance from the entrance door is a curious Madonna placed horizontally, installation by an artist with a religious theme.
Arethusa source
- 12 Arethusa source (Electric bus). The Aretusa spring is a sort of freshwater pond which, using an underground vein, reaches that point and then throws itself into the sea. For this reason the papyrus plants grow luxuriantly and fish swim in them. The importance of this place lies more than anything else in the re-enactment of the myth of Arethusa and Alfeo. The nymph Arethusa was seen by the river god Alfeo who immediately fell in love with her trying to possess her. But the nymph fled and in fleeing she invoked the help of Artemis who turned her into a source, precisely the source Arethusa. Alfeo who resided in the river of Greece, to join her decided to travel the entire Ionian Sea and reach the outlet to the sea of the source to join the two waters in an eternal embrace. The myth is also represented by a sculpture inside the source, as well as by Virgil's verses affixed to a tombstone. It is possible to visit the source at the end of the aquarium visit (see below).
- 13 Tropical aquarium of Syracuse, Largo Aretusa (Ortigia), ☎ 39 333 1674461. Adults: € 8.00 Children 3-12 years: € 6.00 Children 0-3 years: free Groups (min 15 people): 6.00 Schools: € 3.00 children / parents € 6.00 Teachers free. Mon-Sun: October-February 10: 00-17: 00; March-May 10: 00-19: 30; June-September 10: 00-20: 00; 15 / 07-15 / 08 10: 00-22: 00. Aquarium for tropical fish arranged according to species. At the end of the visit you enter the Arethusa spring.
Hotel Des Etrangers
- 14 Hotel Des Etrangers, Stroll Adorno. It is a historic 5-star hotel in Ortigia. The current building in Sicilian liberty and neoclassical style was built in 1906. After several vicissitudes and management changes, the hotel closed in 1963 and then reopened, 40 years later in 2003. Over the course of its history it has hosted several illustrious personalities who visited Syracuse.
Fountain of Diana
- 15 Diana Fountain, Archimedes Square. This beautiful fountain, the work of the sculptor Giulio Moschetti, was commissioned by the municipality in 1907 to furnish the square recalling the myth of Diana the huntress. Diana or Artemis is in fact the ancient protector of the city. In fact, the ancient temple incorporated into the cathedral was dedicated to this goddess.
Church of S. Maria della Concezione
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Migliaccio Palace
- 16 Church of S. Maria della Concezione (S. Maria delle Monache), Via Roma, 33. for a fee during the tourist season. It was built with the alms of the faithful at the end of 1300. The monastery and the adjoining church were one of the largest, richest and most important convent buildings in Syracuse. Its maximum splendor reached it in the Baroque age. While in the modern age it lost some of its original features due to modifications. The beautiful church preserves numerous artistic works such as frescoes, furnishings and the splendid ceramic floor of Caltagirone. Of considerable interest, even if little known to the general public, is the cloistered window and above all the beautiful choir of the Nuns from 1703 that overlooks the entrance.
- 17 Migliaccio Palace, Via Pompeo Picherali. Fifteenth century building destroyed first by the earthquake of 1693 and then by subsequent demolitions and modifications that made it completely lose its characteristics. The Hotel des étranger overlooking Largo Aretusa stands on part of the old building. What remains today is the façade with an upper balcony with elegant two-tone zigzag motifs and the Migliaccio coat of arms.
Maniace
A room of the Maniace Castle
- 18 Maniace Castle, Via Castello Maniace, 51, ☎ 39 0931 450 8211. The castle stands at the extreme tip of the island in a strategic position, which allows both to intercept ships entering the port and to spot others in the distance. Therefore it is very likely that this defensive position already existed in Greek times. However, the most important and most fascinating structure dates back to the 13th century at the behest of Frederick II. Then a long history of modifications and alterations followed. In 1704 the powder keg located inside exploded with the destruction of part of the ancient buildings. The name is linked to Giorgio Maniace, the leader who led the liberation of Syracuse in the hands of the Arabs in 1038. What remains in all its beauty is the portal, where once there were two bronze rams (one of them today is at the Salinas Museum in Palermo), and the square shape of the ancient structure.
- In 2009 the castle hosted the G8 environment.
Church of the Holy Spirit
- 19 Church of the Holy Spirit, Lungomare d'Ortigia, 2. The church was built during the Spanish domination of Sicily, built by the architect Pompeo Picherali, in 1727. The facade of the church has three orders connected by volutes and marked by pilasters, surmounted by a mullioned window and divided by an imposing cornice with a highly broken line. plastic. The whole facade, resolved with bright white limestone, a typical Syracusan rock, is a continuous game of planes and shapes defined in each structural node with soft and imaginative decorations. The capitals are in Corinthian style.
Church of San Martino
- 20 Church of San Martino, Via S. Martino, 1. It is one of the oldest churches in the city. The construction of the church of San Martino dates back to the Norman period and from this period it retains a large part of the structure. The architecture of the apse and the columns that surround it would date it around the 6th century AD, however other components such as the rose window and the entrance portal date back to 1300 - 1400, which would seem to be the result of various restorations. The church, however, is defined as early Christian and included among the oldest ecclesiastical buildings in Syracuse as some of its elements refer to the Byzantine period crossed by the city and recall the pagan temples still existing in the 5th - 6th century AD. During the earthquake of 1693 the church suffered various damages, above all of a static nature.
- In the square next to the church there is a representation of one stomachion, a kind of game with geometric figures invented by Archimedes.
Upset
L'Annunciation by Antonello da Messina.
- 21 Palazzo Bellomo Museum, via Capodieci, 14/16, ☎ 39 0931 69511, fax: 39 0931 69529, @[email protected]. full € 8.00- reduced € 4.00. Tue-Sat 9: 00-19: 30, Sun 14: 00-19: 30. The museum is housed in a Catalan Gothic style building of the XIII-XIV century, inside it exhibits works from Syracuse and its province. Among the names of the artists on display we find: Antonello Gagini, Francesco Laurana, Antonello da Messina (with the famous Annunciation), Mario Minniti, Guglielmo Borremans and Gaetano Zummo. The coats of arms of the now disappeared Porta Ligny as well as various ceramics and objects are also exhibited in the courtyard.
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Church of the Jesuit College
- 22 Former Church of San Benedetto (Romanian Orthodox Parish of Saint Paul the Apostle and Saint Lucia Virgin and Martyr), Via Capodieci. The church was damaged by the earthquake of 1693 and rebuilt around 1741. In 2010 it was transformed into a Romanian Orthodox church taking a different name. If the internal structure remains, however, there is an iconostasis typical of Orthodox churches.
- 23 Museum of the sea, Via Gaetano Zummo, 7, ☎ 39 3203476297, 39 3470793896. 2€. Mon and Fri 17: 00-20: 00. The small museum of the sea houses instruments and tools of the seafaring art that in Syracuse boasts an ancient tradition as well as the careful work of the caulkers, masters of restoring the wooden hulls of boats.
Municipal theater
- 24 Municipal Theater, Via del Teatro, ☎ 39 329 2417142, @[email protected]. Full € 5, reduced € 3. On request. The Municipal Theater has a troubled history since its foundation in 1897, when it came into operation after many construction problems and bureaucratic delays. In 1957 it was closed due to static problems and for more than fifty years it remained so until the recent opening in 2016. Today it is used for some events and it is also possible to visit it. Its late nineteenth-century style makes it one of the valuable monuments of the city.
Former Monastery of the Five Plagues
- 25 Parisio Palace (Former Benedictine monastery), Via Capodieci. Building from 1365 with a beautiful baroque wrought iron railing, post-earthquake reconstruction to ensure the seclusion of the nuns where they were imprisoned in the past. The key of the arch is in white stone surmounted by the coat of arms of San Benedetto, flanked by four angels with vases of flowers and columns on the sides.
- 26 Former Monastery of the Five Plagues, via delle Vergini, 10. This building is easily recognizable by its Gothic style of the facade (although it was built after the earthquake of 1693). It was a convent of the Sisters of Charity who had an orphanage there until 1876, then it became a hospital until the 1950s. Since then, the entire complex has been closed pending restorations that can save the buildings from abandonment.
Giudecca
Miqwè
- 27 Miqwè of Syracuse, Via G.B. Alagona, 52 (Palazzo Bianca), ☎ 39 0931 21467. Mon-Sun 10: 00-12: 00 and 16: 00-18: 00. This miqwè it was discovered following renovation of the property. The opening with the access ladder was found and stones were extracted that completely occluded the access. The tank is located in a hypogeum dug at a depth of 10 meters where there is also an aquifer of spring water. The third flight of stairs leads through a foot wash basin, (i.e. the last step is dug to form a foot bath), into a large square room of over five meters on each side. On the floor in the center of the square, there are three ritual basins arranged in a four-leaf clover. The fourth basin bears traces of delimitation but was never excavated, perhaps for reasons of space. It is descended by means of steps carved into the rock, with the use of the double side step to allow access and exit from the pool. In the room a seat carved into the wall, probably so that the users could put their clothes on it. Finally, on the vault of one of the four ambulatories there is a large vertical flared chimney at the opening communicating with the surface, intended for ventilation, lighting and perhaps even the immersion of new crockery.
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Church of San Giovanni Battista
- 28 Church of San Giovannello (Church of San Giovanni Battista), Square of the Precursor, ☎ 39 366 3570430. The current church was built around 1380 on the remains of the ancient early Christian basilica commissioned by Bishop Germano. Covered with Baroque stucco in the 19th century, it returned to its Gothic splendor only in the early 1900s. Closed for worship by Archbishop Bignami, it returned to host the cult in 2015.
Church of San Filippo Apostolo
- 29 Church of S. Filippo Apostolo, Piazza S. Filippo, ☎ 39 366 3570430. free offer. Underground levels: Mon-Sat: 10: 00-12: 30 and 15: 00-17: 30. The church was built after 1492, the year of the edict that drove out the Jews, as that place was formerly part of the Jewish quarter and it is believed that this was the place where the synagogue was located. There are few documents relating to the original structure, only the subsequent interventions are known. The most interesting aspect is not related to the building but to the underlying structures because on the lower floor there is a crypt with ossuary. Then there are some rooms that were used as an air-raid shelter during the Second World War (there are also some graffiti of the time). Finally, on the lower level there is a mikwè with an ablution tank, still functioning, which intercepts a vein of fresh water, the second in the city.
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Hall of the Papyrus Museum
Puppet Museum
- 30 Papyrus Museum ("Corrado Basile" Papyrus Museum), Via Nizza, 14, ☎ 39 0931 22100, fax: 39 0931 22100, @[email protected]. May-September: Tue-Sat 10: 00-19: 00 Sun and holidays 10: 00-14: 00; October-April: Tue-Sun 9: 30-14: 00. The museum in addition to exhibiting rare papyri, shows the stages of processing starting from the plant that grows spontaneously even in Syracuse.
- 31 Puppet Museum, Piazza San Giuseppe, 33, ☎ 39 0931 199 5531, fax: 39 0931 465 540, @[email protected]. Mon-Sat. The museum is the only one of its kind in Italy and was created to enhance the history and culture of the Sicilian puppet opera. Inside there are also a library and a video library.
Maestranza
Montalto Palace
- 32 Montalto Palace (Mergulese-Montalto palace), Via Dei Mergulensi, 4. It is a historic building dating back to 1397 in the Chiaramonte Gothic style and has three windows, a mullioned window, a mullioned window and a mullioned window. In addition, there is an inscription in Latin that indicates the year of foundation. What often strikes tourists is the presence of the Star of David on one of the windows. The building has been undergoing restoration for a long time, is being opened for special occasions and has not found a destination of use to this day.
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Palazzo impellizzeri
- 33 Impellizzeri Palace, Via Maestranza, 99. It is a noble building in the Rococo style. The interiors were used as a former university building, now closed. The facade has several decorative elements that are not very visible due to the narrow street. However, it remains a prestigious building.
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Church of the Immaculate Conception
- 34 Church of the Immaculate Conception, Corpaci Square, 1. The church stands on the now disappeared church of S. Andrea. The beautiful Baroque façade, which bears the insignia of the Franciscan order (two crossed arms), is accompanied by the mammoth Doric columns, while the splendid clock is placed in the bell tower. The restorations carried out have brought to light the splendid fifteenth-century portals and traces of the neighboring convent. The church has a single nave, with six side altars.
Spittle
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Church of the Carmine
- 35 Church of the Carmine, Piazzetta del Carmine, ☎ 39 0931 66056. The current construction dates back to the seventeenth century, but there was a previous fourteenth-century church of which some traces exist inside. The building has three naves. On the sides of the main altar two marble statues depict S. Agata and S. Lucia. A stucco drapery with golden fringes gathered in a knot on the top of which there is a crusader shield supported by two cherubs that delimits the central nave.
Church of San Pietro Apostolo
- 36 Church of San Pietro Apostolo, Via S. Pietro, 18. Paleochristian basilica of the end of the 4th century and the beginning of the 5th century, it was enlarged and reworked in the 7th century and then underwent further modifications in the 15th century, which includes the beautiful pointed arch. The church is used occasionally for events. The interior has some ruined frescoes.
Church of San Tommaso
Church of San Giuseppe
- 37 Church of San Tommaso Apostolo, Via Vincenzo Mirabella. It is one of the few medieval churches still existing in Syracuse. Built in the 12th century, the church has long been neglected and closed to worship. It has a single nave with the apse facing east in the spirit of tradition. The only structures that have withstood the weight of the centuries and that have not been destroyed are the apse and the portal of the northern wall.
- 38 Church of San Giuseppe, Piazza S. Giuseppe, 6. It was built on the site where an old Greek rite church once stood, in the mid-1700s. The interior of the church has an octagonal plan with a deep semicircular apse in which the main altar is located. The back wall houses a copy of Caravaggio's Burial of S. Lucia, made by the painter Mario Minniti, a friend of Caravaggio. On the lower floor there is also a crypt.
Bottari
Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli
- 39 Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, Via dei Miracoli. The name of the church derives from the miracle performed by an image of the Madonna which, according to popular belief, brought to an end the plague epidemic of the 16th century. In 1693 an earthquake severely damaged the church, but it was promptly rebuilt the following year. The portal is made up of fluted semi-columns, an architrave where the date of construction, the image of St. Lucia and the coats of arms of the city are engraved. Particularly interesting are also the marble jambs where floral reliefs are carved, while on the threshold you can see the figures of two small lions. Next to it is a Catalan-style aedicule, which houses a reproduction of the Madonna and Child by Giovanni della Robbia.
Church of san benedetto
- 40 Church of San Giuseppe and Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (church of the Jesuit College), via Saverio Landolina. The Jesuit church was built on a previous one and was dedicated to St. Joseph. The impotent building has a single nave and has a beautiful Baroque facade placed on a short churchyard. Currently the church, one of the most beautiful on the island, is closed due to the departure of the Jesuit fathers. In the lower part there is the crypt, in the past used as an exhibition room.
Church of San Paolo Apostolo
- 41 Church of San Paolo Apostolo, Via dell'Apollonion (next to the Temple of Apollo). The Church is built on the ancient early Christian basilica, one of the oldest religious buildings on the island. The current building, dating from the seventeenth century, consists of a facade with a quadrangular portal surrounded by Corinthian columns. The interior consists of a single nave with a barrel vault and geometric bas-reliefs.
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Port Marina
- 42 Port Marina. This gate allowed entry to the old city through the ancient Spanish fortifications. It preserves traces of the Catalan period I in the highly worked aedicule, where the stone becomes a floral element. Once crossed, there is a staircase that allows a view of the large port from above.
Graziella
Temple of Apollo
- 43 Temple of Apollo, piazza Pancali (After crossing the Umbertine Bridge, it is opposite). It cannot be visited. Ancient Greek Doric temple dating back to the 6th century BC It is the oldest temple in the city, built with monolithic columns. In the back, actually its entrance side, you can see the access stairs and on the first step an inscription in Greek that reports this sentence: "Kleomedes made for Apollo (the temple), the son of Knidieidas, and raised the colonnades, beautiful works".
- In later times the temple was transformed into a Byzantine church and mosque, up to being part of a barracks in the last period. It was brought to light thanks to the excavations of Paolo Orsi between 1938 and 1942.
Bourbon prison
- 44 Bourbon prison (At home cu n’occhiu), Via Vittorio Veneto 227. Former prison built between 1782 and 1798 by the Syracusan architect Natale Bonaiuto and used until 1991, as the structure is now obsolete. At the time it was built according to the most advanced criteria as a fortress, with a central octagonal courtyard and two well separated sections (male and female). Among other things, Palestinian terrorists who hijacked the cruise ship Achille Lauro in the 1980s were detained, as well as mafia bosses for a short time. The eye on the main door is well known by the old Syracusans and earned it the nickname "house with one eye".
Umbertine district
Archimedes statue
City gate
- 45 City gate, via XX Settembre. This excavation left open since 1977 in the middle of a street is actually the rest of the ancient gateway to the fortified city of Ortigia. È tra le poche testimonianze delle fortificazioni che difendevano l'isola e che proteggevano i tiranni della città.
- 46 Monumento ad Archimede, Ponte umbertino. Questo bel monumento è opera dello scultore Pietro Marchese mentre il basamento dell'architetto Virginia Rossello. Inaugurato nel 2016 rende onore al genio siracusano di Archimede. Nel basamento sono anche riportate simbolicamente alcune delle sue scoperte.
What to do
Escursioni e gite
- Visite guidate Hermes Sicily (Hermes Sicily Guides), ☎ 39 346 5787561, @[email protected]. Visite guidate individuali e di gruppo a Siracusa e dintorni. Periodicamente organizza visite guidate gratuite in inglese.
- 1 Tour del porto di Siracusa (Compagnia del Selene) (Partenze presso la Marina di Siracusa), ☎ 39 3471275680, 39 3400558769, @[email protected]. Tour del porto grande di Siracusa e mini crociere.
Vita da spiaggia
Nel periodo estivo il Comune mette a disposizione dei solarium gratuiti in città. In Ortigia se ne trova uno:
- 2 Solarium forte Vigliena, via Nizza. Il più vecchio dei solarium di Ortigia.
Vi sono anche due piccole spiaggette:
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Cala rossa
- 3 Spiaggia di Cala Rossa, lungomare di levante. Spiaggia ad accesso gratuito.
- 4 Spiaggia della Marina (Accanto alla palazzina della Capitaneria di Porto). Questa spiaggetta è una delle più amate dai turisti.
Shopping
Il mercato di Ortigia
Ortigia è piena di negozi di souvenir o di piccolo artigianato creativo.
- 1 Mercato storico di Ortigia, via De Benedictis. Mon-Sun 08: 00-14: 00. Mercato alimentare di frutta, pesce e altro. Molto apprezzato dai turisti e abbastanza conveniente.
- 2 Gioielleria Massimo Izzo, piazza archimede, 25, ☎ 39 0931 22301, 39 333 4847112. Gioielleria-laboratorio per la creazione di gioielli in corallo.
- 3 Supermarket, via Giusto Monaco (traversa di corso Matteotti).
- 4 Farmacia Valvo, Largo XXV Luglio, 7, ☎ 39 0931 67670.
- 5 Tabaccheria, Piazza Emanuele Pancali, 5 (Chiosco). Lun-Dom.
- 6 Agenzia viaggi Boccadifuoco, Via XX Settembre, 27, ☎ 39 093165046, fax: 39 0931449092, @[email protected].
- 7 Libreria Mascali (Casa del libro), via Maestranza 20, ☎ 39 0931 65186, @[email protected]. 9:30-13:30 e 16:30-20:30. Libreria storica della città che ha visto ospiti illustri come Sciascia, Bufalino e Pasolini. Oggi mantiene la tradizione organizzando incontri e presentazioni di libri.
- 8 TAMI' Concept Store, Via Cavour, 13, ☎ 39 0931 465926. Negozio di design e articoli per la casa creativi.
- 9 Fish House Art, Via Cavour, 29, ☎ 39 339 777 1364. Negozio di artigianato con ceramiche a forma di pesce.
How to have fun
- 1 MOON - Move Ortigia Out of Normality, Via Roma, 112, ☎ 39 0931 449516. Mer-Lun 12:30-15:30 e 19:00-23:00. Locale con cibo vegetariano, vegano e cucina tipica. Organizza spettacoli e concerti.
- 2 Punto g, Via Saverio Landolina, 1, ☎ 39 093162472, 39 3487053822, @[email protected]. Lun-Dom 08:30-02:00. Bar, ristorante e concerti live. Le recensioni riportano giudizi contrastanti in merito alla cortesia dei proprietari e alla qualità.
Where to eat
| La spada di Damocle |
 Spada di Damocle, dipinto di Richard Westall del 1812 Secondo il racconto di Cicerone, Damocle era un membro della corte di Dionigi I, tiranno di Siracusa. Egli sosteneva, che quest'ultimo fosse una persona estremamente fortunata, potendo disporre di un grande potere e di una grande autorità: Dionigi quindi gli propose di prendere il suo posto per un giorno, così da poter assaporare tale fortuna, e Damocle accetta. La sera si tiene un banchetto durante il quale Damocle incomincia a tastare con mano i piaceri dell'essere un uomo potente; solamente al termine della cena egli nota, sopra la sua testa, la presenza di una spada sostenuta da un esile crine di cavallo. Dionigi l'aveva fatta sospendere sul suo capo perché capisse che la sua posizione lo esponeva continuamente a grandi minacce per la sua incolumità. Immediatamente Damocle chiese al tiranno di poter terminare lo scambio. Da questo racconto proviene l'espressione "spada di Damocle", che indica un grave pericolo di cui non si sa quando possa concretizzarsi. |
Moderate prices
- 1 Viola Bakery, Via Roma, 43. 07:30-00:15. Bar con ambiente gradevole e con la possibilità di ordinare rustici o pane.
- 2 Bar Artale, Via Landolina, 32. Ottima pasticceria, consigliata per i cannoli.
- 3 Caseificio Borderi, Via Emmanuele de Benedictis, 6 (Nella stessa via del mercato), ☎ 39 0931463253. 5€ circa. Lun-Sab 07:00-16:00. Uno dei più famosi locali su TripAdvisor nonché pieno di recensioni su riviste internazionali per la preparazione di panini con prodotti di qualità siciliani. Da notare che il locale è sempre pieno e la fila può richiedere anche mezz'ora. Ma almeno una volta può valerne la pena.
- 4 Biblos café (Caffé letterario), Via Consiglio Reginale, 1, ☎ 39 0931 61627, @[email protected]. Mer-Lun 17:00-23:00. Caffè letterario con atmosfera particolarmente tranquilla, offre servizio di caffetteria e la possibilità di acquistare dei libri. Saltuariamente si tengono anche incontri letterari e presentazioni di libri.
Average prices
- 5 Osteria Apollonion, Via Carmelo Campisi, 18 (Traversa di Corso Matteotti), ☎ 390931483362. Lun-Sab. Ristorante con menù di pesce, carne e cucina siciliana.
- 6 Sicilia in Tavola, Via Cavour, 28, ☎ 39 392 461 0889. Tue-Sun. Antipasti di pesce e pasta artigianale, locale rustico con arredi in legno e menù scritto su lavagne.
- 7 Taberna Sveva, Piazza Federico di Svevia, 1 (Di fronte al castello Maniace), ☎ 39 0931 24663. Gio-Mar.
- 8 Osteria Mariano, Vicolo Zuccolà, 9, ☎ 39 0931 67444. Mer-Lun. Specialità siciliane in un locale familiare con sale dalle pareti di pietra.
- 9 Antica Giudecca, Via della Giudecca, 26 (In Ortigia rione Giudecca), ☎ 39 0931 449152. 7:30-14:30 e 18:00-23:00. Pizze, arancine e sfoglie da asporto.
- 10 Timilìa, Via Tommaso Gargallo, 24, ☎ 39 0931 196 5418. Mar-Dom 19:00-23:00. Pizzeria con cortiletto interno. Farina con grani antichi.
- 11 Just Veggie, via Teatro 15 (Via Teatro è la via del Teatro Massimo Comuale a pochissima distanza dal quartiere della giudecca), ☎ 39 09311623365, @[email protected]. €. Mon-Sun 10: 00-23: 30. Ristorante Food Biologico e Vegano al 100%.
- 12 Siculish street food experience, Via Gemmellaro, 3, ☎ 393939555197. Mer-Dom 18:30-23:00. Menù ricercati con prodotti di qualità, a scelta panini o pizze. molti turisti si fermano davanti al locale per la scritta luminosa "I love Ortigia".
- 13 Era ora, via, Riva Giuseppe Garibaldi, 10, ☎ 39 327 011 3454. Pizzeria con prodotti di qualità, impasto classico o napoletano.
High prices
- 14 Ristorante Don Camillo, Via delle Maestranze, 96, ☎ 39 0931 67133. Lun-Sab. Il ristorante più in della città.
- 15 Ristorante Regina Lucia, Piazza Duomo, 6, ☎ 39 0931 22509, 39 3349004341, @[email protected]. Mer-Lun 12:30-14:00 e 19:45-22:30. Raffinato ristorante a Piazza Duomo con menù ricercato.
Where stay
Moderate prices
- 1 Talia Ortigia Apartment, Via Amalfitania 66, ☎ 39 3779956212, @[email protected]. 70 €. Check in: 15, check-out: 11. Talia Ortigia Apartment è una casavacanza di circa 50 mq situata al primo piano di un antico palazzo di Ortigia, a pochi passi da piazza Duomo e dalla marina di Ortigia.
Average prices
- 2 Great Britain (Hotel Gran Bretagna), via Savoia, 21 (Ortigia), ☎ 39 093168765, fax: 39 0931449078, @[email protected]. Un bel albergo in casa d'epoca sito nel quartiere isolare d'Ortigia.
- 3 Hotel Posta, Via Trieste, 33, ☎ 39 093121420, 39 0931 21819, @[email protected].
- 4 B&b Diana Ortigia, Piazza Archimede, 2, ☎ 39 338 293 5995. 80€. Centralissimo.
- 5 B&B Globetrotter Siracusa, Corso Giacomo Matteotti, 45, ☎ 39 0931 449460. 60€.
High prices
- 6 Grand Hotel Ortigia, Viale Giuseppe Mazzini, 12 (Posto in Ortigia, nei pressi della Marina.), ☎ 39 0931 464600, @[email protected]. Ottimi interni arredati con stile retrò. Piccolo museo interno.
- 7 Antico Hotel Roma 1880, Via Roma, 66, ☎ 39 0931 465630, @[email protected]. 90-270€. Posizione centralissima, a pochi passi da piazza Duomo.
- 8 Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel, Via Vittorio Veneto, 93 (Lungomare di levante in Ortigia), ☎ 39 0931 465186, @[email protected]. 118-218€.
How to keep in touch
Internet
Tutte le strutture ricettive offrono connessione a internet. Inoltre sono presenti molti locali che forniscono una connessione internet wi-fi gratuita. In Ortigia inoltre vi è un sistema wi-fi comunale gratuito. Maggiori informazioni possono essere lette qui.
Useful information
Tourist offices
- 5 Comune di Siracusa - Ufficio Turismo, Via Mirabella, 29 (Town center), ☎ 39 0931 464657, 39 0931 451111.
- 6 Ufficio Turistico Provinciale, via Roma 31, ☎ 39 800055500, @[email protected]. Lun-Dom 08:00-20:00, Dom e festivi 09:30-18:30.
- 7 Servizio Turistico Regionale, Via Maestranza, 33 (Town center), ☎ 39 0931 65201, 39 0931 464255.
- 8 Siracusa Turismo, Via Duca degli Abruzzi, 4 (Town center), ☎ 39 0931 1756232, fax: 39 0931 1751323, @[email protected]. Società consertile su iniziativa della Camera di Commercio di Siracusa
- 9 Info Point Ortigia, Via Ruggero VII, 19-21 (Town center), @[email protected].
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Ortigia Island
Commons contains images or other files on Ortigia Island
Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Ortigia Island
