Syracuse
Syracuse is home to an Archaeological Zone housing a world renowned Teatro Greco, still in use to this very day.
The island of Ortygia is the centre of ancient Syracuse. Within a few minutes walking distance through the pedestrian zone are the magnificent Duomo, a converted V Century BC Greek Temple, dedicated to Athena. The interior is largely Norman while the façade is a splendid early 18th Century Sicilian baroque creation. The Fonte Aretusa, a fresh water spring that attracted the original Greek settlers, overlooks the bay of Syracuse. Caravaggio’s Burial of Santa Lucia is in a small church about half way along from the Duomo.
In the opposite direction, through the quaint narrow medieval street is the Piazza Archimede with its central early 20th century art nouveau Fontana di Artemide.
Marzamemi
Marzamemi is the quaintest fishing village you can come across. The rows of colourful one-story fishermen’s houses are interrupted by the Tonnara, the disused X Century Arab tuna processing plant, Palazzo Villadorata and the Chiesa di San Francesco di Paola. The village, with Piazza Regina Margherita as everyone’s meeting place, is a sea of colour, the bright blue doors and windows, the potted red geraniums, the multicoulored wooden fishing boats, all against a background of the blue Mediterranean Sea.
At Campisi you will find an array of Sicilian delicacies – sun dried tomatoes, pate di Olive Neri and of course the traditional bottarga (dried tuna roe).