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Comune di Siracusa
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Sicily
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Siracusa (SR)
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17
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204
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December 31 , 2004
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123,322
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593
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CET , UTC +1
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Belvedere, Cassibile, Fontane Bianche, Isola, Santa Teresa Longarini Scalo, Targia, Floridia
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0931
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96100
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Siracusani
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Saint Lucy
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December 13
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Giambattista Bufardeci (from June 14 , 2004 )
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wwwcomunesiracusait
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(Italian, '''Siracusa''', ancient '''Syracusa''' - see also
List Of Traditional Greek Place Names ) is a city on the eastern coast of
Sicily and the capital of the
Province Of Syracuse ,
Italy . Once described by
Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all", the ancient core of Syracuse is part of the
UNESCO World Heritage List .
The area of what is today Syracuse was settled since very ancient times, as showed by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and ''Thapsos'', who already had relationship with
Mycenaean Greece .
, showing location of Syracuse on the island of
Sicily . Map also shows mainland
Italy ,
Tunisia , and the islands
Sardinia and
Corsica .]]
Syracuse was founded in 734 or 733 BC by , Ario of Metimma, Eumelos of Corinth and
Sappho , who had been exiled here from
Mytilene . The enlarged power of Syracuse made unavoidable the clash against the
Carthaginian s, who ruled over the Western part of Sicily. In the
Battle Of Himera , Gelo, who had allied with Theron of
Agrigento , decisively defeated the African force led by
Hamilcar . A
Temple , entitled to
Athena (on the site of the today's Cathedral), was erected in the city to commemorate the event
Gelo was succedeed by his brother
Hiero , who
Fought against the
Etruscan s at
Cumae in
474 BC . His rule was eulogized by poets like
Simonides Of Ceos ,
Bacchylides and
Pindar , who visited his court. A democratic regime was introduced by
Thrasybulos (
467 BC ). The city continued to expand in
Sicily , fighting against the rebellious
Siculi , and on the
Tyrrhenian Sea , making expeditions up to
Corsica and
Elba . In the late
5th Century BC , Syracuse found itself at war with
Athens , which sought more resources to fight the
Peloponnesian War . The Syracusans enlisted the aid of a general from
Sparta , Athens' foe in the war, to defeat the Athenians, destroy their ships, and leave them to starve on the island (see
Sicilian Expedition ). In
401 BC , Syracuse contributed a force of 3000
Hoplites and a general to
Cyrus The Younger 's
Army Of The Ten Thousand .
Not long after, in the early
4th Century BC , the
Tyrant Dionysius The Elder was again at war against
Carthage and, although losing Gela and Camarina, kept that power from capturing the whole of Sicily. After the end of the conflict Dionysius built a massive fortress on the Otrigia island of the city, as well as another 22 km-long walls line that encircled the whole of Syracuse. After another period of expansion, which saw the destruction of Naxos,
Catania and
Lentini , the city entered again in war against Carthage (
397 BC ). After various changes of fortune, the Africans managed to besiege Syracuse itself, but were eventually pushed back by a pestilence. A treaty in
392 BC allowed Syracuse to enlarge further its possessions, founding the cities of Adrano,
Ancona ,
Adria , Tindari and Tauromenos, and conquering
Reggio Calabria on the continent. Apart his battle deeds, Dionysius was famous as a patron of art, and
Plato himself visited several times Syracuse.
His successor was
Dionysius The Younger , who was however expelled by
Dion in
356 BC . However, the latter's despotic rule led in turn to his expulsion, and Dionysius reclaimed his throne in
347 BC . A democratic government was installed by
Timoleon in
345 BC . The long series of inner struggles had weakened Syracuse's power in the island, and Timoleon tried to remedy this situation, defeating the Carthaginians in
399 BC near the
Krimisos river. The struggle among the city's parties, however, restarted after his death and ended with the rise of another tyrant,
Agathocles , who seized the power with a coup in
317 BC . He resumed the war against Carthage, with alternate fortunes. He however scored a moral success, bringing the war to the Carthaginians' native African soil, inflicting heavy losses to the enemy. The war, however, ended with another treaty of peace which did not prevent the Carthaginians interfering in the politics of Syracuse after the death of the tyrant Agathocles (
289 BC ). The citizens therefore called
Pyrrhus Of Epirus for help. After a brief period under the rule of Epirus,
Hiero II seized power in
275 BC .
Hiero inaugurated a period of fifty years of peace and prosperity, in which Syracause became one of the most renowned capitals of Antiquity. He issued the so-called ''Lex Hieronica'', which was later adopted by the Romans for their administration of Sicily; he also had the theater enlarged and a new immense altar, the "Hiero's Ara", built. Under his rule the most famous Syracusan lived, the
Natural Philosopher Archimedes . Among his many inventions were various military engines including the
Claw Of Archimedes , later used to resist a
Roman siege. Literature figures included
Theocritus and others.
Hiero's successor, the young
Hieronymus (ruled from
215 BC ), broke the peace with the Romans, who, led by consul
Marcus Claudius Marcellus , besieged the city in
214 BC . The city held out for three years, but fell in
212 BC . It is believed to have fallen due to a peace party opening a small door in the wall to negotiate a peace, but the Romans charged through the door and took the city, killing
Archimedes in the process.
Though declining slowly by the years, Syracuse mantained the status of capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of the
Praetor . It remained an important port for the trades between the Eastern and the Western parts of the Empire.
Christianity spread in the city through the efforts of
St. Paul and San Marziano, the first bishop of the city, who made it one of the main centres of proselytism in the West. In the age the persecutions massive
Catacomb s were carved, whose size is second only to Rome's ones.
After a period of
Vandal rule, in
535 AD Syracuse and the island was recovered by
Belisarius for the
Byzantine Empire . From
663 to
668 Syracuse was the seat of emperor Constans II, as well as metropolis of the whole Sicilian Church.
Another siege in AD , the most important Sicilan poet of the
12th Century , lived here.
In
1038 the
Byzantine general
George Maniaces reconquered the city, sending the relics of St. Lucy to
Constantinople . The eponymous castle on the cape of Ortygia bears his name, although it was built under the
Hohenstaufen rule. The Normans entered Syracuse, one of the last
Saracen strongpoints, in
1085 , after a summer-long siege by
Roger I Of Sicily and his son
Jordan , who was given the city as count. New quarters were built, and the cathedral was restored, as well as other churches.
In 1194
Henry VI of
Swabia occupied Syracuse. After a short period of
Genoese rule (
1205 -
1220 ), which favoured a rise of trades, Syracuse was conquered back by emperor
Frederick II . He began the construction of the
Castello Maniace , the Bishops' Palace and the Bellomo Palace. Frederick's death brought a period of unrets and feudal anarchy. In the struggle between the
Anjou and
Aragonese monarchies, Syracuse sided with the Aragonese and defeated the Anjou in
1298 , receiving from the Spanish sovereigns great privileges in reward. The preeminence of baronal families is also showed by the construction of the palaces of Abela, Chiaramonte, Nava, Montalto.
The city in the following centuries was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in
1542 and
1693 , and, in
1729 , by a plague. The 17th century destruction changed forever the appearance of Syracuse, as well as the entire
Val Di Noto , whose cities were rebuilt along the typical lines of
Sicilian Baroque , considered one of the most typical expressions of art of Southern Italy. The spread of
Cholera in
1837 led to a revolt against the
Bourbon government. The punishment was the move of the province capital seat to
Noto , but the unrest had not been totally choked, as the Siracusani took part to the
1848 revolution.
After the
Unification Of Italy of
1865 , Syracuse regained its status of provincial capital. In
1870 the walls were demolished and a bridge connecting the mainland to Ortygia island was built. In the following year a railway link was constructed.
Heavy destruction was caused by the Allied and the German bombings in
1943 . After the end of
World War 2 the northern quarters of Syracuse experienced a heavy, often chaotic, expansion, favoured by the quick process of industrialization.
Syracuse today has about 125,000 inhabitants and numerous attractions for the visitor interested in historical sites (such as the
Ear Of Dionysius ). A process of recovering and restoring the historical centre has been ongoing since the
1990s . Nearby places of note include
Catania ,
Noto ,
Modica and
Ragusa .
- The , adapted to a church in Byzantine times and to a mosque under Arab rule.
- The , in the Ortygia island. According to a legend, the Nymph Arethusa , hunted by Alpheus, took shelter here. This locale recently served as a checkpoint for the 9th season of CBS 's '' The Amazing Race ''.
- The , whose remain. The edifice (still used today) was modified by the Romans, who adapted it to their different style of spectacles, including also circus games. Near the theatre are the '''latomìe''', stone quarries, also used as prisons in ancient times. The most famous ''latomìa'' is the ''' Orecchio Di Dionisio ''' ("Ear of Dionysius").
- The ''Roman amphitheatre'', of Roman Imperial age. It was partly carved out from the rock. In the centre of the area is a rectangular space which was used for the scenic machinery.
- The so-called , in the Grotticelli Nechropolis. Decorated with two Doric columns, it was a Roman tomb.
- The , about 3 km outside the city, built around 6th Century BC .
- The was built by bishop Zosimo in the in 1725 - 1753 , with a double order of Corinthian Column s, and statues by Ignazio Marabitti. The most interesting artipieces of the interior are a font with marble basin (12th-13th century), a silver statue of ''St. Lucy'' by Pietro Rizzo ( 1599 ), a Ciborium by Luigi Vanvitelli , and a statue of the ''Madonna della Neve'' ("Madonna of the Snow", 1512) by Antonello Gagini .
- Basilica of , a Byzantine church built, according to tradition, in the same place of the martyrdom of the saint in 303 AD. The current appearance is from the 15th-16th centuries. The most ancient parts still preserved include the portal, the three half-circular apses and the first two orders of the belfry. Under the church are the '''Catacombs of St. Lucy'''.
- Church of ( 18th Century ).
- Church of ( 14th Century , rebuilt in the 18th century).
- Church of , a Baroque edifice built after the 1693 earthquake.
- ( 13th Century ).
- ( 18th Century ).
- Church of the , a majestic, Baroque building.
- Church of (16th century, restored after 1693). It houses a painting of the ''Death of Saint Benedict'' by the Caravaggisti Mario Minniti .
- (14th century, rebuilt in the 18th century), with the annexed Benedictine convent.
- , with a convex façade intermingled by columns and pilaster strips. It housed and ancient celebration, the Svelata ("Revelation"), in which an image of the Madonna was unveiled at dawn of November 29 .
- Basilica of , built by the Normans and destroyed in 1693. Only partially restored it was erected over an ancient crypt of the martyr San Marciano, later destroyed by the Arabs. The main altar is Byzantine. It includes the '''Catacombs of San Giovanni''', featuring a maze of tunnels and passages, with thousands of tombs and several frescoes.
- The , constructed between 1232 and 1240, is an example of the military architecture of Frederick II's reign. It is a square structure with circular towers at each of the four corners. The most striking feature is the pointed portal, decorated with polychrome marbles.
- The important , with collections including findings from the mid-Bronze Age to 5th century BC.
- ( 16th Century ).
- (14th century), which conserves the old façade from the 14th century, with a pointed portal.
- The ( 17th Century , modified in the following century). It houses the '''Alagonian Library''', founded in the late 18th century.
- The , the current Town Hall, which includes fragments of an Ionic temple of the 5th century BC.
- , with parts of the original 16th century building surviving.
- , originally built in the Middle Ages but extensively modified between 1779 and 1788. It has a pleasant internal court.
- ( 15th Century ), with notable lava inlay decorations.
- The , housing in the court an 18th century Coach .
- The , built nine kilometres outside the city by Dionysius the Elder and which was one of the most powerful fortresses of ancient times. It had three moats with a series of underground galleries which allowed the defenders to remove the materials the attackers could use to fill them.
One city and six small
Municipalities in the
United States have been named after Syracuse:
