Traveling in Italy (Sicily) Siracusa - Ortygia

Siracusa - Ortygia
Ortygia is located at the eastern end of Syracuse and is separated from it by a narrow channel. Two bridges connect the island to mainland Sicily. The island is an extremely popular place for tourism, shopping, entertainment and also a residential area.

The island of Ortigia is the historical heart of Siracusa. There are fewer archaeological sites exposed to view here (the island has been heavily built-up ever since the time of the Greeks), but this is the part of Siracusa you're likely to be wandering around after you've 'done' the mainland points of interest. The tight-knit lanes are pleasant for strolling, and much of the island's charm lies in wandering down narrow medieval lanes, past romantically-crumbling - or lovingly-restored - Baroque palaces and churches. A walk around the perimeter of the island is a good way to begin to get your bearings.

With a map and a guidebook you can locate individual buildings of note, such as the bizarre Palazzo Impellizzeri, lined with faces, but it's just as much fun exploring for yourself and discovering your own favourite places: abandoned palazzi where weeds and bushes swarm over the dilapidated balconies, corners where you catch glimpses of sky through once-grand windows, carefully-tended cactus plants, updated and inviting historic buildings, seafront churches, picturesque alleys and so on. Ortigia has many gems to discover - one of our favourites was the small Chiesa of San Martino, a simple and ancient church with a lovely interior, decorated with a mosaic in the apse.