Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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B5
24
Massimo Izzo
C3
25
Untitled
C4
Fontana Aretusa
FOUNTAIN
()
At this ancient spring, fresh water still bubbles up as it did 2500 years ago when this
was Ortygia's main water supply. According to legend, the goddess Artemis transformed
her beautiful handmaiden Aretusa into the spring to protect her from the river god Al-
pheus. Now populated by ducks, grey mullet and papyrus plants, it's a popular summer
evening hangout.
Galleria Regionale
di Palazzo Bellomo
( 093 16 95 11;
www.regione.sicilia.it/beniculturali/palazzobellomo
; Via Capodieci 16; adult/reduced
€8/4; 9am-7pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
Housed in a 13th-century Catalan-Gothic palace, this
art museum's eclectic collection ranges from early Byzantine and Norman stonework to
19th-century Caltagirone ceramics; in between, there's a good range of medieval religious
paintings and sculpture.
ART GALLERY
Castello Maniace
(adult/reduced €4/2; 9am-6.30pm Wed-Sat, 9am-1.30pm Tue & Sun)
Guarding the island's south-
ern tip, Ortygia's 13th-century castle is a lovely place to wander, gaze out over the water
and contemplate Syracuse's past glories. It also hosts occasional rotating exhibitions.
CASTLE
La Giudecca
Simply walking through Ortygia's tangled maze of alleys is an atmospheric experience,
especially down the narrow lanes of
Via Maestranza
, the heart of the old guild quarter, and
the crumbling Jewish ghetto of
Via della Giudecca
.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
