Syracuse
The most beautiful Greek colony in Sicily, a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

less than an hour from Palazzo Sangiorgio

South of Catania, reachable in less than an hour by car from Palazzo Sangiorgio, Syracuse retains all the splendour of its ancient past. During the classical age it competed with Athens. It was awarded the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The homeland of mathematician Archimedes has seen the rise and fall of various populations who settled in this area of the Hyblaean Mountains since the Neolithic era, thanks to its particularly favourable geographical position. The Greco-Punic wars began in Syracuse, and notable figures from the Greek world, such as Aeschylus and Plato, resided here.

From this period, among the best-preserved buildings, it is worth visiting the Temple of Apollo on the island of Ortigia. This temple is classified as the oldest Doric temple in Sicily and has been transformed over the centuries into a Byzantine church, an Arab mosque, a Norman church, and a Spanish prison.

The Duomo, which today showcases a rich baroque facade, hides traces of the Greek period in its Doric columns. It was once a place of worship for the goddess Athena. Today, this unique building is dedicated to the Christian-Catholic faith and shines with the typical yellow-gold colour of Hyblaean stone and an ornate rococo style, the result of reconstruction after the devastating earthquake of 1693.

However, the millennia-old history of Syracuse is not only reflected in its religious buildings. The Castello di Maniace, a castle built by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, allows a stroll among the towers and bastions of the 1200s, offering an invaluable view of the sea surrounding the city. Due to its location at the far end of the Island of Ortigia, it played an important defensive role until the Bourbon period.

One of the main tourist attractions of Syracuse is the island of Ortigia, the oldest part of the city, reachable on foot. This one-square-kilometre area emerging from the sea houses the Fontana di Aretusa, a small freshwater basin where papyrus grows, a unique case in all of Europe. The name of the fountain derives from the poignant Greek myth of Arethusa and Alpheus, transformed into a fountain and a river respectively, destined to unite symbolically by mixing their waters forever.

Syracuse is a city of timeless charm where its past comes alive through performances of ancient theatrical works, blending with the most modern forms of entertainment such as concerts and electronic music festivals in the ancient Greek theatre within the archaeological park.

A chameleon-like place to discover, thanks also to the advice of the concierge team at Palazzo Sangiorgio.