Siracusa and Noto

In Saracen, Byzantium and Bourbon times, the city suffered invasion and then 'salvation' from opposing forces. Siracusa, 'the fairest of cities' according to the Roman Cicero, was a powerhouse of intellectual thought in that part of the Mediterranean colonised by the Greeks. It was home to Archimedes, who is reputed to have set the fleet on fire by reflecting a mirror onto ship's sails. He is also the man who ran naked through the streets crying 'Eureka' ("I have found it"), after making a scientific discovery in his bath.
Not surprisingly, Siracusa has a wealth of remains, including the pillars in the splendidly simple Christian cathedral dating from the seventh century BC. Its magnificent 15,000-seat theatre, the best preserved outside Greece, was the venue for the first nights of some plays by Aeschylus, the greatest of Greek dramatists. Classical plays are still performed here today.

The island of Ortigia joined to the mainland of Siracusa by two bridges, is a fascinating web of ancient buildings and narrow streets with two main piazzas buzzing with an assortment of bars and cafes.

Approximately 52 kilometres south-west of Siracusa is the city of Noto which is considered to be the finest baroque town in Sicily. Completely devastated in the earthquake of 1693 the city was rebuilt in the style of the day with beautiful honey-coloured stone buildings with ornate churches and monuments surrounding attractive piazzas.

© Copyright, Italia nel Mondo Ltd.2007 - All rights reserved