Syracuse - Sicily - Italy - Listed as World Heritage Site

Siracusa is a historic city in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is famous for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of Archimedes. This 2700 year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. Syracuse is located in the south-east corner of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Syracuse next to the Ionian Sea. The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and became a very powerful city-state. Syracuse was allied with Sparta and Corinth, exerting influence over the entire Magna Grecia area of which it was the most important city. Once described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all", it later became part of the Roman Republic and Byzantine Empire. After this Palermo overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily. Eventually the kingdom would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860. In the modern day, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the Necropolis of Pantalica. In the central area, the city itself has a population of around 125000 people. The inhabitants are known as Siracusans, and the local language spoken by its inhabitants is the Sicilian language. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles book at 28:12 as Paul stayed there.

Syracuse, Sicily - An Italian City Rich in Greek History

With a 2009 population of 124,000, the city of Syracuse is located on the southeast coast of Sicily, and is known for being rich in Greek history. Syracuse was settled by Greeks in the 8th century BC, and evolved to become what Roman philosopher Cicero called "the greatest Greek City and most beautiful of them all".

The original city was located on the fortified Ortygia Island, and although the city is still centered there, Syracuse has spread extensively inland. Exploring Ortygia reveals three thousand years of history, starting with the harbor front that leads to a maze of winding ancient streets. The central Piazza del Duomo is impressive with its imposing buildings, and the Cathedral there was built in the 7th century over top of the 5th century BC Temple of Athens. Also central to the old city, and housed in the 13th century Bellomo Palace, is the Regional Art Museum.

The year 1693 saw a devastating earthquake, and Syracuse was rebuilt in what is termed Sicilian Baroque, now regarded as the classic architecture of Italy. The northern part of the city saw heavy damage by Allied bombing in World War II, and the area was unfortunately hastily rebuilt.

Syracuse offers much heritage and many monuments in Greek, Roman and Baroque styles. Just outside of the city are several of the more notable monuments, such as the Temple of Zeus, built in the 6th century BC, as well as the Ancient Greek Castle of Euryalos, one of the most complete defensive complexes in all of Western Europe.

Other monuments of note include the Temple of Apollo, The Fountain of Arethusa, which is on Ortygia Island, as well s the Greek Theatre, which was modified later by the Romans for their Circus games and other uses. Also check out the Roman Amphitheatre, which was partially carved out of rock. Syracuse also features quite a few historical churches of note that represent many styles and periods.

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