Rebuilding The Renaissance
Rebuilding The Renaissance
Rocky Ruggiero
Episode 399 - Sicily - Siracusa and Ortygia
21 minutes Posted Sep 9, 2026 at 10:30 am.
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Ortygia is a small island forming the historical center of the Sicilian city of Siracusa. While already inhabited by native Sicels in ancient times, Siracusa became an ancient superpower after Greek colonists settled there in the 8th century BCE and became part of Magna Graecia. In fact, Ortygia contains many of the city's oldest landmarks, including the Greek Temple of Apollo, the Fountain of Arethusa, and the Temple of Athena, which is today the Cathedral of Siracusa. It was later home to the legendary mathematician and inventor, Archimedes.