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The small island Ortigia is the historical centre of Syracuse. Many cultures had influenced the city like Greeks, Normans, Aragoneses and Spanish.
Among the ancient vestiges, there are the rests of the temple of Apollo at the island entrance, the Aretusa fountain, the duomo (cathedral) built around a greek temple… Its maze of lanes is pleasant, marked by a style from the Spanish time.

Piazza Duomo
The cathedral square. During the greek antiquity, there, was the Acropolis.
Today the square is surrounded by baroc houses wich were built after the earthquake of 1693.
Fonte Aretusa
Source of sweet water drinkable wich alimented a great part of the city durng antiquity.
The Alphea god of the river, a long time ago, felt in love for the Arethuse nymph, one of the Artemis servant, who was having a bath in the river.
To protect her from the God ambition, Artemis divinity
transformed the nymph in a source, who escaped under the sea until to Ortygia.
But Alphea succed to catch her and mixed his waters with hers when Arethuse passed back over the sea.
See also : photos of Ortygia in Syracuse
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