| River Ciane and Saline Nature Reserve of Syracuse | |
 | |
Location  | |
| Area type | Natural reserve |
|---|---|
| State | Italy |
| Region | Sicily |
| Territory | Syracusan |
| Surface | 316.68 ha |
| Foundation year | 1987 |
River Ciane and Saline Nature Reserve of Syracuse is a protected area located in Sicily.
To know
| The myths of the Ciane source and the Anapo |
The Ciane and Anapo rivers are linked by a legend, which is linked to the myth of Persephone and of his kidnapping by Hades. The nymph Ciane reacted to the abduction of Persephone by clinging to the chariot of Hades. The angry God struck her with his scepter, transforming her into a double spring with blue waters (cyanos in Greek it means precisely blue). The young Anapo, in love with the nymph Ciane, having seen his fiancée liquefy, was also changed into the river which still today, at the end of its journey, joins the waters of the Ciane. A second version of the myth reports that Cianippus had made sacrifices to all the gods except a Bacchus, and for this the god to punish him made him drunk in such a way that he raped his daughter Ciane. But the daughter during the intercourse managed to take a ring from him and gave it to the nurse to make him understand, the next day, who he had abused. Shortly afterwards an epidemic of plague broke out and consulted the oracle he stated that the only way to appease it was the sacrifice of the worst man in the city. Ciane then grabbed her father by the hair and killed him with a dagger, only to commit suicide herself. This sacrifice took place in the place of the Ciane spring. Moved Proserpina collected the tears of the young Ciane and created the source. Another myth tells that Heracles passing through Syracuse he decided to honor Persephone and Ciane by sacrificing a bull right at the Ciane spring, ordering the citizens to perform the same gesture every year. |
The Reserve is a protected natural area that includes the course of the Ciane river and the wetland of the Saline and is aimed at safeguarding the papyrus along the course of the Ciane river and to the conservation of the environment of the "Saline".
Geographical notes
The reserve falls along the terminal stretch of the Ciane river which is flanked by the Anapo, located a little further north. Both rivers flow into the Grand Harbor of Syracuse with a single mouth. Flanked by the two rivers there is also the Mammaiabica canal which, if traveled upstream, turns to take a southerly direction.
Flora and fauna
The reserve is characterized by a flourishing riparian vegetation with species such as the papyrus (Cyperus papyrus), the common reed (Phragmites australis) and the water iris (Iris pseudacorus).
The site recalls an interesting avifauna which includes, among others, the knight of Italy (Himantopus himantopus), the moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) and the little bittern (Ixobrychus minutus).
When to go
The reserve can be visited at any time of the year.
How to get
Permits / Rates
Access to the reserve is free.
How to get around
River Ciane and Saline Nature Reserve of Syracuse: full screen map.What see
- 1 Caderini lighthouse.
- 2 Mouth of Anapo and Ciane.
- 3 Source Ciane. It is a pool of spring water where the Ciane River re-emerges and then flows to the sea. The place is also famous for the myth according to which Persephone was kidnapped by Pluto and fled into Hades by entering this passage. Today it is surrounded by the presence of spontaneous papyrus.
- It is also a great place to escape from the daytime heat.
- 4 Saline of Syracuse. They include a marshy, flat environment, sometimes at a slightly lower level than that of the sea, ideal for the extraction of salt. The salt pans constituted an economic resource of great interest in the seventeenth century; they remained in business until the 1980s and were later abandoned due to the crisis in the sector.
- 5 Temple of Zeus (I ru culonne (the two columns)), via temple of Jupiter. The Temple of Zeus is a Greek temple from the 6th century BC. It was built in a strategic point in a place from where the boats entering or leaving the port of Syracuse could clearly see it, this because propitiatory rites were made on board to ingratiate themselves with the divinity. The temple was often plundered (being outside the city walls), today two columns remain, hence the name in Sicilian dialect. Unfortunately it is almost always closed due to a lack of staff on the part of the Sicily Region, which is responsible for it.
Bridges
The bridges are a great way to see the waters of the rivers as the vegetation is very dense at the edges and which prevents you from enjoying the view.
- 6 Great bridge. This bridge allows the vehicular traffic of the SS 115 and crosses the Ciane, the Anapo and the Mammaiabica. Next to it is an old broken bridge on which an intense battle took place in July 1943 by the English against a few Italian soldiers. A flag and a plaque commemorates the event and the death of two soldiers.
- 7 Bridge over the Mammaiabica. The bridge is unsafe and for this reason only vehicular traffic is allowed.
- 8 Bridge on via Tempio di Giove.
What to do
- 1 Boat excursions on the Ciane (via Elorina, leaving Syracuse past the bridges of the Anapo and Ciane rivers on the left).
About € 10. Excursion by motor boat going up the Ciane river. - 2 Canoe excursion (Barbagallo nautical club) (along via Elorina, leaving Syracuse just before the bridge over the Anapo, on the left side street next to the Dafne restaurant). € 5 per hour. Canoe rental to go up the Ciane river, the Anapo or the Mammaiabica canal.
- 3 Take a picnic (Equipped area), Traverse Ponte di Pietra. In this part of the reserve there are wooden tables and benches.
- 4 Birdwatching. From this point you can observe the various species of birds that stop at the salt pans, especially in winter.
About € 10. Excursion by motor boat going up the Ciane river.
- Go mountain biking or walking (Main path). Inside the reserve there is a cycle / pedestrian path of about 6 km. I know you can start from the ciane source or in correspondence with the equipped area. The route is easy, but a mountain bike is required. The same path is easily covered on foot.
- Trails heading south. From the bridge over the Mammaiabica, walk along the Traversa Ponte di pietra until you reach the bridge on via Tempio di Giove, and after crossing the other side of the bank, follow a path that leads out of the reserve but which has rich vegetation and shady trees. The route is bumpy and not always clearly marked but it can also be traveled by mountain bike. For those wishing to follow it, check out at the crossroads 15 next to the Rinaura campsite.
Shopping
Where to eat
- 1 Due Colonne Restaurant Pizzeria, Via Elorina, 158a, ☎ 39 0931 721488.
- 2 Dafne Restaurant Pizzeria, Via Elorina, 97a, ☎ 39 0931 21616.
Where stay
- 1 CasalTempo, Via Tempio di Giove, 9, ☎ 39 328 190 6232.
- 2 U Pantanu, Via Tempio di Giove, 14, ☎ 39 348 680 2953.
- 3 Camping Rinaura, Str. Laganelli, 8, ☎ 39 0931 721224.
Safety
How to keep in touch
Around
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning River Ciane and Saline Nature Reserve of Syracuse
Commons contains images or other files on River Ciane and Saline Nature Reserve of Syracuse
