Italy 2013: Monday, March 25

Friday, July 19, 2013

Monday, March 25 - Ortygia

Today we visited the sights of Ortygia.
Again the Duomo

Duomo interior

The Duomo is a fascinating place. Constructed originally in the 5th c BC as a Temple to Athena,
converted to a Christian church in 640 AD, then a Norman church and in 1754 the exterior Baroque façade was added.

Notice the columns by the entrance.

Incorporated into the current walls of the Duomo, are the original columns of the 5th c BC Temple of Athena.

And are visible in the outside walls. An amazing sight!

Fabulous Baroque exterior added in 1754.

Palazzo Senato

Opposite the Duomo, a beautiful Baroque building and Ortygia's Town Hall.

Fonte Aretusa

This is a freshwater spring with... a history and legend...., papyrus plants from Egypt, and today...a symbol of Siracusa.

First the history. The papyrus plants were a gift to King Agathocles of Sicily around 300 BC who married the step-daughter of Ptolemy I of Egypt. Ptolemy I was one of Alexander the Great's generals, who chose Egypt when Alexander's empire was divided among his generals.

Now the legend. The nymph Arethusa, a follower of the Olympian deity Artemis, also known as Diana, was loved and pursued by the river god Alpheius. She fled from the god, into the sea and emerged in this place in Sicily. Artemis came to her rescue and changed her into a spring called Arethusa or Aretusa in Sicilian.

And thus, the Fontana di Aretusa

Castello Maniace

Built in 1239, it dominates the Siracusa promontory and protected its' shores to the east and west. Previously, the Greeks built a Temple to Hera (who also had a temple dedicated to her in Agrigento).