Siracusa - A Force Of The Ancient Mediterranean World...

il 25 aprile
Catania, Sicily

Our first stop after breakfast was Siracusa (Syracuse), another UNESCO World Heritage Site,whose 2,700 year old story boasts it being one of the major powers of the ancient Mediterranean world as well as the birthplace of Archimedes. A city-state, founded by the ancient Greek Corinthians and Teneans, Siracusa has a rich and colorful past of war and peace and is especially notable for its Greek history, culture, and architecture. After years of Greek control and once being described by Cicero as the "greatest Greek city", Syracuse also experienced the rule of the Roman, Byzantine, Muslim, and Norman powers, as did the rest of Sicily, until the unification of Italy in 1865 when it became a provincial capital. The 20th century saw Allied and German bombings in 1943, resulting in major destruction of the city which was ultimately captured by the British and then used as a port for the Royal Navy until the war's end.

Of special delight for me was the visit to the ancient Hebrew mikvah that our very thoughtful guide, Davide, arranged for a few of us. It was only by chance that the ruins of these purification baths were discovered on the property of a boutique hotel when a puzzling wall was discovered during renovation. Fresh water, which flows into the mikvah from an underground spring, would normally be pumped out so as not to flood the bathhouse and also to keep the water pure. As the original pump is no longer usable, the hotel's owner paid for the construction of a modern one; thus keeping alive a very interesting and important component of the life of the Jewish community that once lived within the city's walls.

Ortigia Island, the harbor and older section of Siricusa, welcomes its visitors with a charming pedestrian square, Greek and Roman ruins, medieval and Baroque buildings. Not to be left out is the boat ride on the bay and a chance to see the city from sparkling blue waters and away from the ever increasing number of tourists.