We spent almost two weeks anchored in Siracusa Bay. During this time we visited some of Siracusa�s major sights plus rented a car for two days to explore Sicily. Siracusa was a charming clean city, and we easily could have stayed longer if it had been earlier in the season. By the time we arrived it had become quite hot and exploring during the heat of the day was not much fun. It was hard to believe that just one week earlier in Palermo we were still sleeping with a blanket. Upon our arrival in Siracusa our intention was to have Mary visit an orthopedic doctor, but her knee slowly started getting better and so an appointment was never made. Mary did buy a walking cane which helped immensely.
Siracusa was founded in the 8th century BC on the island of Ortigia by Greek colonists from Corinth. For 200 years, beginning in the 5th century BC, this city enjoyed much prosperity as a major Mediterranean power, but by the end of the 3rd century BC Siracusa came under Roman jurisdiction. Of interest, the great Greek mathematician and physicist Archimedes had been a resident of this city. He was killed during the Roman conflict at the end of the 3rd century.
The island of Ortigia was small, only about two miles long and one mile wide. We�d park our dinghy by the bridge and walk across to Ortigia, now the main historic part of Siracusa. A couple of blocks away was an excellent outdoor market overflowing with fresh Sicilian produce and fish. Further on, Ortigia was filled with many narrow streets and alleys. Near the center of the island was Piazza Archimede and Piazza Duomo. |
