Idea #750 – Visiting the historic city of Syracuse in Sicily
Syracuse was founded in 734 BC by Greek settlers from Corinth on the island of Ortygia. The development of the city is important and rapid, quickly marking its independence from other powers, such as Carthage. In 405 BC, Dionysius the Elder took power. Under his domination, the city reached the peak of its splendor and its domination over Sicily, with around 300,000 inhabitants. The city is growing, with the construction of new districts of Neapolis.
Archimedes was born in Syracuse in 287 BC, under the reign of Hieron II, the last of the tyrants of Sicily. The latter, to counter the Roman advance in Italy and the threat it posed, led several alliances including one with Carthage. During the First Punic War, in 212 BC, Rome landed in Sicily and conquered the city. The city remained the capital of the Roman province of Sicily, but it never regained its past splendour.
In the 6th century, Syracuse remained the main city of Sicily, under the domination of the Byzantine Empire. In 669, the Saracens looted the city. They returned to besiege it in 740. In 1086, the city was taken by the Normans, commanded by Roger de Hauteville. Under King Frederick of Hohenstaufen, the city and the whole of the island regained their prosperity. The city was destroyed by the earthquakes of 1542 and then of 1693, which led to a partial reconstruction of the city. New buildings and churches, built in a Baroque style, restore the city to its former splendor. A series of buildings, such as the Palazzo Impellizzeri, the Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco, the churches Santa Lucia alla Badia, the Chiesa di San Filippo apostolo alla Giudecca, or the Chiesa di San Filippo Neri still bear witness to this. Since 2005, the historic center of Syracuse has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Syracuse, Sicily, Italia