History of Ortigia
A small island of south-eastern Sicily, on which stands the oldest part of the city of Syracuse. Together with three bridges on the mainland, the island of Ortigia stretches out in the Ionian Sea stretching from north to south for over 1.5 km, between the wide inlet of the large port, to the west, the open sea to the east and the port. small to the northeast, ending in the south in the narrow peninsula (200 meters) on which stands the massive castle Maniace, erected by Frederick II of Swabia.
The famous and picturesque Aretusa spring flows from the south-west coast.
The historical age of the city "Aretusea" begins in 734 a.c., when Archia, departed from Corinth, lands in Ortigia defeats the Sicilians and founds the colony of Syracuse.
Soon the city took a leading role in both economic and military, imposing its supremacy over the entire Mediterranean basin.
In 480 a.c. with Gelone (tyrant of Syracuse) defeats the Carthaginians in the famous battle of Imera, in 474 a.c. with Ierone I beats the Etruscans in Cuma, in 413 a.c., during the reign of Hermocrates, the Syracusan fleet inflicts a resounding defeat to the Athenian one.
At the beginning of the fourth century a.c. under Dionysius the great, with its approximately one million two hundred thousand inhabitants, Syracuse becomes the most powerful city in Europe, extending its dominion over all of Sicily and part of Calabria.
And it was in the 4th century that the city conquered a position of notable prestige, becoming the new economic, political and cultural hub and consequently a center of gravitation for all the greatest literati of the time (Plato, Aeschylus, Pindar, Simonides and Bachilide) .
After a brief period of decline, Syracuse "raises its head" thanks to Timoleonte and with Agatocle defeats the Carthaginians again. Under the reign of the sage Hieron II relives a new period of economic and cultural splendor.
At this point in history, the interests of the "city of Archimedes" clashed with those of a new nascent power: "Rome".
After a very long and exhausting siege in 212 a.c. it is conquered by the Romans. Despite this Syracuse remains the capital of Sicily, maintaining this role during the Byzantine domination (535-879 ad), even between 662 and 668d.c., thanks to the emperor Constant II, it becomes the capital of the entire Byzantine Empire (title this which, on the death of the emperor, returns to Constantinople).
Conquered and sacked by the Arabs in 879d.c. it is the capital of the known valley, one of the three great territories in which the Muslims divided Sicily.
In 1085, freed from the Arab domination, it passed under the Norman dominion, to subsequently become a commercial base, of the Pisans first (1197-1204), and then of the Genoese (1204-1221). The year 1221 is Swabians of Frederick II until 1266 when the Angevins succeeded (1266-1282).
From 1282 onwards, the city participates in the War of Vespers.
The arrival of the Spaniards brought two dominations: the Aragonese until 1412 and the Castilian rule until the early 1500s. Between 1305 and 1536 it was the capital of the Spanish royal chamber, a sort of state in the state governed by the Aragonese and Castilian .
Thanks to the Reginal Chamber, Syracuse goes through a further period of splendor, the businesses return very flourishing and cultural exchanges with Spain favor the birth of an abundant Catalan-Aragonese building, which still characterizes Ortigia from all the other Sicilian historical centers .
In 1536 Charles V (King of Spain) decided to abolish the royal chamber, and transformed the island into one of the most powerful Mediterranean rocchaforti.
This new military function cuts off Ortygia from any commercial exchange, causing economic catastrophe and long decadence.
To the serious economic crisis are added: the earthquakes of 1542 and 1693, the famine of 1646 and the continuous plagues that ended up decimating the city.
The '700 is marked by numerous passages in power: from the Habsburgs to the Bourbons, then with the treaty of Ultrecht come the Savoy, then the Austrians (1718-1735) and then return to the Bourbons from 1735 to 1860 (substantially up to the unity of Italy) During the anti-Bourbon uprisings of 1837 the city was punished with the loss of the title of provincial capital that passed to Noto, a city loyal to the Bourbons.
Only in 1861, with the unification of Italy, the capital was returned to Syracuse.
From this date on the city is identified with that of the Italian state.
Ortigia Island Excursion
THE MYTH OF ARETUSA AND ALFEO
- THE ARETUSA SOURCE -
"Arethusa was among the nymphs after Diana the beloved one, they spent their days in the forests that grew luxuriant under Mount Olympus in Greece, chasing deer and fallow deer. Our Aretusa was beautiful, but so beautiful that she almost had trouble and blush showing herself to men. During a hunt he went too far away from the group of maidservants following Diana and arrived alone in front of the banks of the river Alpheus, whose waters were pure, very sweet and clear so that you could see the gravel on the bottom. It was a hot day and the nymph wanted to take a bath. All around there was a singular silence, broken only by the chirping of birds and by the ducks of aquatic ducks. Aretusa, perhaps encouraged by not being seen and by the oppressive heat, took off her white robes, placed them on a truncated, weeping willow tree trunk and immersed herself, beginning to enter the water with a sinuous and graceful bearing. But she immediately had the feeling that towards the center of the river, the water around her began to quiver and to form almost dancing vortexes, something magical was perhaps going to happen she thought, it seemed as if that water wanted to caress and wrap it to self. Troubled by these sensations she tried to get out of the water hurriedly, but it was at that moment that the river Alpheus turned into a handsome blond young man who, raising his head out of the water and collapsing his thick hair, showed himself to the nymph Aretusa, with the eyes of a lover.
The nymph, however, taken from the break, managed to free herself and to reach the shore with great effort, where she fled naked and dripping. Alfeo with a feline leap also came out of his river and pursued her without clothes and dripping with water drops. This chase long lasted and Alphaeus did not manage to reach the nymph at first. The seductive Arethusa, however, began to get tired and understood that her strength was failing her. He felt that Alphaeus was about to reach her and violate her, she who was a savage and modest virgin and had never known love.
For fear of being overwhelmed and profaned, Aretusa asked Diana for protection, invoking her to be turned into a spring in a place possibly far from Greece.
Diana first wrapped her in a mysterious mist and hid her at the sight of Alphaeus, then turned her into a spring and brought her, as in a strange spell, to Sicily in Syracuse near the island of Ortigia.
Alfeo, in the midst of that mist, lost sight of his beautiful nymph, but did not desist from looking for it and remained there. But when the fog cleared he found nothing more, he saw only in a mirror a source of gushing water and immersed in a wonderful garden. Alphaeus understood the wonder and was so in love that he overflowed with love. The gods took pity on him and Jove the almighty allowed him to reach his beloved, but Alphaeus had to make a great effort, he dug an underground under the Ionian Sea and from the Peloponnese came to emerge in the Great Port of Syracuse, next to his beautiful beloved : Arethusa. Together they lived happily ever after."
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Today this source of fresh water flows a few meters from the sea, on the island of Ortigia in Syracuse. It forms a small semicircular pond full of fish and where the green triumphs and grows the papyrus plant luxuriantly. A large colony of ducks has long since established its home in these clear waters. By local tradition it is also called "a funtana re papiri". All this makes of the current Fonte Aretusa a pleasant place to visit and a compulsory tourist destination. Then remembering the myth and leaning on the iron railing that overlooks the source, the visitor will have the feeling of seeing the scenes of the myth because the place is so full of magic that it will remain involved.
It is famous in Syracuse to walk, especially at sunset, along the Aretusa Fountain and see the sun descend on the horizon behind the Iblei Mountains. For the Syracusans historically it is the place par excellence where to find oneself and how in the spells the first loves of the adolescents light up.
The myth as surely perceived, continues to perpetuate itself, palpitate and become immortal.
Ortigia Island Excursion