//
Photo: User: Stevage, CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
In the middle ages Syracuse was fortified as a bulwark against Ottoman expansion. The island of Ortigia was guarded by fortresses at each end: the northern Marchetti fortress has long gone. The smaller, later Maniace fortress remains at the southern tip, with Vauban-style bastions and a dry moat cut between fort and city. There are small exhibitions on the history of the fortress, and of Norman ceramics discovered at the site.
The Castello Maniace is a citadel and castle in Syracuse, Sicily, southern Italy. It is situated at the far point of the Ortygia island promontory, where it was constructed between 1232 and 1240 by the Emperor Frederick II. It bears the name of George Maniakes, the Byzantine general who besieged and took the city in 1038. Originally, one could only enter the castle over a bridge spanning a moat. A feature of the castle is the decorated portal. Today the castle is open to the public and is a local tourist attraction in Syracuse.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Font of Arethusa
It's a pond with a fresh water source surrounded by papyrus reeds, which inspired many poets and writers. The legend says that Alpheus, son of Oceanus, fell madly in love with a nymph named Aretusa. The nymph didn't share his feelings. To save her, Artemis turned her into a water source. Zeus also turned Alpheus into a river, allowing him to meet up with Aretusa, but these watery legends are sending a stern strategic message. Ortigia has its own fresh water supply, drawn from the limestone aquifers, so its enemies should think twice about trying to besiege it.
In the apse, behind the altar, there was a large painting of the "Burial of Saint Lucy" by Caravaggio which was returned to Chiesa di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro.
Santa Maria delle Colonne
This was built as a Greek Temple of Athena in the 5th century BC on older foundations. In the 7th century it was converted to a church, incorporating most of its former construction including the Doric columns. In the 9th century, it became a mosque; in the 11th century the Normans converted it back into a church adding a new roof with mosaics in the apses. Then after the 1693 Sicily earthquake it was rebuilt in grand Baroque style.
Ipogei di Piazza del Duomo
A sort of dungeon under the Piazza Duomo decorated with theatrical setting from the various Greek performances.
Foro Italica
This is a beautiful promenade, where many come to walk and relax. It is said that the trees make people want to spend the day under them.