Syracuse
Seal
Location of the city of Syracuse (red dot) within Italy.
Coordinates: 37°05′N 15°17′E / 37.083, 15.283
Region	Sicily
Province	Province of Syracuse
Founded	734 BC
Government
- Mayor	Giambattista Bufardeci
Area
- Total	204 km² (78. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. In Italy, a Province (in Italian provincia) is an administrative division of intermediate level between Municipality ( Comune The Province of Syracuse ( Provincia di Siracusa; Sicilian: Pruvincia di Sarausa) is a province in the autonomous island region Events and trends 739 BC — Hiram II becomes king of Tyre. 738 BC — King Tiglath-Pileser III of A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 8 sq mi)
Population (December 2004)
- Total	123,322 (31st)
- Density	593/km² (1,535. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. ISTAT data updated 2007 January 1. Figures are based on last 2001 Census plus data from official bilancio demografico ( demographic balance Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 9/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
Postal codes	96100
Area code(s)	0931
Patron saints	Saint Lucy
Website: http://www.comune.siracusa.it

Syracuse (Italian: Siracusa, Sicilian: Sarausa, Classical Greek: Συρακοῦσαι / transliterated: Syrakousai) is a historic city in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Syracuse. Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. UTC+1 is used in the following locations Central European Time West Africa Time Western European Summer Time A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks This article is about the Catholic saint For other meanings see Saint Lucia (disambiguation Saint Lucy of Syracuse also known as Saint Lucia Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Sicilian (scn '''''lu sicilianu''''' lingua siciliana, also known as Siculu or Calabro-Sicilian) is a Romance language. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status Geography Southern Italy forms the lower "boot" of the Italian peninsula containing the ankle (Abruzzo and Molise and southern Lazio the toe (Calabria and the heel Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Province of Syracuse ( Provincia di Siracusa; Sicilian: Pruvincia di Sarausa) is a province in the autonomous island region The city is noted for its rich Greek history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture and association to Archimedes, playing an important role in ancient times as one of the top powers of the Mediterranean world; it is over 2,700 years old. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic An amphitheatre (alternatively amphitheater) is an open-air venue for spectator sports concerts rallies or theatrical performances The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation Archimedes of Syracuse ( Greek:) ( c. 287 BC – c 212 BC was a Greek mathematician, Physicist, Engineer Syracuse is located in the south-east corner of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Syracuse next to the Ionian Sea. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Ionian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea.

The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and became a very powerful city-state. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. Syracuse was allied with Sparta and Corinth, exerting influence over the entire Magna Grecia area of which it was the most important city. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Once described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all", it later became part of the Roman Republic and Byzantine Empire. Marcus Tullius Cicero ( Classical Latin ˈkikeroː usually ˈsɪsərəʊ in English January 3, 106 BC &ndash December 7, 43 BC was a Roman The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the After this Palermo overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily. Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in The Kingdom of Sicily (Regnum Siciliae or Sicilie Regno di Sicilia, commonly abbreviated Regno) was a state that existed in the south of Italy Eventually the kingdom would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860. The Kingdom of Naples was an informal name of the Polity officially known as the Kingdom of Sicily which existed on the mainland of the southern Italian The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies ( Regno delle Due Sicilie) commonly known as just the Two Sicilies, was the name of a Kingdom in Europe. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian

In the modern day, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the Necropolis of Pantalica. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Necropolis of Pantalica is a large Necropolis in Sicily with over 5000 tombs dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC. In the central area, the city itself has a population of around 125 thousand people, the inhabitants are known as Siracusans, the local language spoken by its inhabitants is the Sicilian language. Sicilian (scn '''''lu sicilianu''''' lingua siciliana, also known as Siculu or Calabro-Sicilian) is a Romance language. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles book at 28:12 as Paul stayed there. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and ^[1] The patron saint of the city is Saint Lucy, she was born in Syracuse and her feast day, Saint Lucy's Day, is celebrated on 13 December. The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members This article is about the Catholic saint For other meanings see Saint Lucia (disambiguation Saint Lucy of Syracuse also known as Saint Lucia Saint Lucy's Day ( Sankta Lucia, Saint Lucia is the Church Feast day dedicated to St Events 1294 - Saint Celestine V abdicates the papacy after only five months Celestine hoped to return to his previous life

Contents 1 History 1.1 Greek period 1.2 From Roman domination to the Middle Ages 1.3 Modern Syracuse 2 Main sights 2.1 Ancient buildings 2.2 Churches 2.3 Other edifices and sights 3 Climate 4 International relations 5 See also 6 References 7 External links

History

Greek period

Main articles: Magna Graecia and List of Tyrants of Syracuse

Syracuse and its surrounding area have been inhabited since ancient times, as shown by the findings in the villages of Stentinello, Ognina, Plemmirio, Matrensa, Cozzo Pantano and Thapsos, which already had a relationship with Mycenaean Greece. Syracuse was an ancient Greek City-State, located on the East coast of Sicily. Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese

Syracuse was founded in 734 or 733 BC by Greek settlers from Corinth and Tenea, led by the oecist (colonizer) Archias, who called it Sirako, referring to a nearby swamp. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Tenea ( Greek:Τενέα is an ancient city in North-East Peloponnese, Greece. Archias was a quasi-mythological Corinthian citizen and founder of the colony of Syracuse in Sicily. The nucleus of the ancient city was the small island of Ortygia. The settlers found the land fertile and the native tribes to be reasonably well-disposed to their presence. The city grew and prospered, and for some time stood as the most powerful Greek city anywhere in the Mediterranean. Colonies were founded at Akrai (664 BC), Kasmenai (643 BC) and Kamarina (598 BC). Palazzolo Acreide ( Palazzolu in Sicilian, Palazzuolu in the local dialect is a town of in the Province of Syracuse Kamarina (Καμαρίνα is a village of Preveza, in the periphery of Epirus, in western Greece. The descendants of the first colonist, called Gamoroi, held the power until they were expelled by the Killichiroi, the lower class of the city. The former, however, returned to power in 485 BC, thanks to the help of Gelo, ruler of Gela. Gelo (or Gelon, d 478 BC Greek: Γέλων) son of Deinomenes, was a 5th century BC ruler of Gela and Syracuse for the village in Tibet China see Gela Tibet Gela is a town in the Province of Caltanissetta in the south of Sicily, Gelo himself became the despot of the city, and moved many inhabitants of Gela, Kamarina and Megera to Syracuse, building the new quarters of Tyche and Neapolis outside the walls. In ancient Greek city cults, Tyche (Τύχη meaning "luck" in Greek, Roman equivalent Fortuna) was the presiding Tutelary Neapoli or Neapolis (Νεάπολις πόλις 'new city' may refer to the following places Cities In Greece: His program of new constructions included a new theater, designed by Damocopos, which gave the city a flourishing cultural life: this in turn attracted personalities as Aeschylus, Ario of Metimma, Eumelos of Corinth and Sappho, who had been exiled here from Mytilene. Aeschylus (ˈɛskɨləs or /ˈiːskɨləs/ Greek: Ασχύλος, Aischylos, 525 BC/524 BC 456 BC/455 BC was an ancient Greek Playwright Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Sappho (ˈsæfoʊ in English Attic Greek el Σαπφώ sapːʰɔː Aeolic Greek el Ψάπφω) was an Ancient Greek lyric Mytilene ( Greek: Μυτιλήνη - Mitilíni) is the Capital City of Lesbos, a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea The enlarged power of Syracuse made unavoidable the clash against the Carthaginians, who ruled western Sicily. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers In the Battle of Himera, Gelo, who had allied with Theron of Agrigento, decisively defeated the African force led by Hamilcar. The Battle of Himera ( 480 BC) supposedly fought on the same day as the more famous Battle of Salamis, or on the same day as the Battle of Thermopylae Agrigento ( Girgenti in Sicilian) is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the Province of Agrigento Hamilcar ( Punic -Phoenician ḥmlqrt, Canaanite Hebrew אחי-מלקרת meaning brother of Melqart, a Tyrian god) was A temple, entitled to Athena (on the site of the today's Cathedral), was erected in the city to commemorate the event

Gelo was succedeed by his brother Hiero, who fought against the Etruscans at Cumae in 474 BC. Hieron I (Ἱέρων in Greek was the son of Deinomenes, the brother of Gelon and tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily from 478 to 467 BC The Battle of Cumae was a naval battle in 474 BC between the combined navies of Syracuse and Cumae and the Etruscans. Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to the culture and way of life of a people of ancient Italy There is also a small modern Greek Euboean city called Κυμη, near the ruins of the ancient Cuma His rule was eulogized by poets like Simonides of Ceos, Bacchylides and Pindar, who visited his court. Bacchylides (5th century BC was an Ancient Greek lyric Poet. Later Greeks included him in the canonical list of Nine lyric poets which included Pindar (ˈpɪndɚ (or Pindarus, Greek:) (probably born 522 BC in Cynoscephalae a village in Boeotia; died 443 BC in Argos) was an Ancient A democratic regime was introduced by Thrasybulos (467 BC). Thrasybulus was a tyrant who ruled Syracuse for eleven months during 466 and 465 BC The city continued to expand in Sicily, fighting against the rebellious Siculi, and on the Tyrrhenian Sea, making expeditions up to Corsica and Elba. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. The Sicels ( Latin: Siculi; Greek: Σικελοί The Tyrrhenian Sea (Mar Tirreno is part of the Mediterranean Sea off of the western coast of Italy. Corsica (Corse Corsican and Italian: Corsica) is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily Elba (Ilva is an island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino. In the late 5th century BC, Syracuse found itself at war with Athens, which sought more resources to fight the Peloponnesian War. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The Syracusans enlisted the aid of a general from Sparta, Athens' foe in the war, to defeat the Athenians, destroy their ships, and leave them to starve on the island (see Sicilian Expedition). The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη The Sicilian Expedition was an Athenian expedition to Sicily from 415 BC to 413 BC, during the Peloponnesian War. In 401 BC, Syracuse contributed a force of 3,000 hoplites and a general to Cyrus the Younger's Army of the Ten Thousand. The word hoplite ( Greek: hoplitēs; pl hoplitai) derives from hoplon ( plural hopla) meaning an item of armour or equipment thus 'hoplite' Cyrus (Kuruš the Younger, son of Darius II of Persia (Dārayavahuš and Parysatis, was a Persian prince and General. The Ten Thousand were a group of Mercenary units mainly Greek, drawn up by Cyrus the Younger to attempt to wrest the throne of the Persian Empire

Then in the early 4th century BC, the tyrant Dionysius the Elder was again at war against Carthage and, although losing Gela and Camarina, kept that power from capturing the whole of Sicily. In modern usage a tyrant is a single ruler holding absolute power over a State or within an Organization. Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers After the end of the conflict Dionysius built a massive fortress on the Ortygia island of the city and 22 km-long walls around all of Syracuse. Ortygia is an island near the city of Syracuse Sicily. The island also known as Città Vecchia (Old City contains many historical landmarks Another period of expansion saw the destruction of Naxos, Catania and Lentini, then Syracuse entered again in war against Carthage (397 BC). Naxos or Naxus ( Ancient Greek) was an ancient city of Sicily, on the east coast of the island between Catana (modern Catania) and Messana (modern Catania ( Greek: &ndash Katánē; Latin: Catăna and Catĭna; Arabic: Lentini ( Lintini in Sicilian, Leontinoi, Leontini and Leontium historically is a After various changes of fortune, the Africans managed to besiege Syracuse itself, but were eventually pushed back by a pestilence. A treaty in 392 BC allowed Syracuse to enlarge further its possessions, founding the cities of Adrano, Ancona, Adria, Tindari and Tauromenos, and conquering Reggio Calabria on the continent. Ancona (Ankon is a city and a seaport in the Marche, a region of central Italy, population 101909 (2005 Adria is a town in the province of Rovigo in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, situated between the mouths of the rivers Adige and Reggio di Calabria (Italian pronunciation /ˈrɛʤo ˌdikaˈlabrja/ Calabrian dialect: Rìggiu, Greek-Calabrian: Righi, Greek: Apart from his battle deeds, Dionysius was famous as a patron of art, and Plato himself visited Syracuse several times. Biography Early life Birth and family Plato was born in Athens Greece

His successor was Dionysius the Younger, who was however expelled by Dion in 356 BC. Dionysius the Younger or Dionysius II (ca 397 BC – 343 BC ruled Syracuse, Sicily from 367 BC to 357 BC and again from 346 BC to 344 BC Dion (408-354 BC Tyrant of Syracuse in Sicily, was the son of Hipparinus and brother-in-law of Dionysius I of Syracuse. But the latter's despotic rule led in turn to his expulsion, and Dionysius reclaimed his throne in 347 BC. A democratic government was installed by Timoleon in 345 BC. Timoleon ( Greek: Τιμολέων son of Timodemus of Corinth (ca The long series of internal struggles had weakened Syracuse's power on the island, and Timoleon tried to remedy this, defeating the Carthaginians in 339 BC near the Krimisos river. But the struggle among the city's parties restarted after his death and ended with the rise of another tyrant, Agathocles, who seized power with a coup in 317 BC. Agathocles (361-289 BC ( Greek name Αγαθοκλής ( Agathokles) derived from αγαθός ( agathos) good and He resumed the war against Carthage, with alternate fortunes. He however scored a moral success, bringing the war to the Carthaginians' native African soil, inflicting heavy losses to the enemy. The war ended with another treaty of peace which did not prevent the Carthaginians interfering in the politics of Syracuse after the death of Agathocles (289 BC). The citizens called Pyrrhus of Epirus for help. Pyrrhus (318-272 BC ( Greek: Πύρρος Aιακιδης Pyrros Aiakides was one of the most successful ancient Greek generals of the Hellenistic After a brief period under the rule of Epirus, Hiero II seized power in 275 BC. Hieron II, king of Syracuse from 270 to 215 BC was the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble Hierocles, who claimed descent from Gelon He was a former

Hiero inaugurated a period of 50 years of peace and prosperity, in which Syracause became one of the most renowned capitals of Antiquity. He issued the so-called Lex Hieronica, which was later adopted by the Romans for their administration of Sicily; he also had the theater enlarged and a new immense altar, the "Hiero's Ara", built. An altar is any structure upon which Sacrifices or other offerings are made for religious purposes or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place Under his rule the most famous Syracusan lived, the natural philosopher Archimedes. For the current in the 19th century German idealism see Naturphilosophie Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature (from Archimedes of Syracuse ( Greek:) ( c. 287 BC – c 212 BC was a Greek mathematician, Physicist, Engineer Among his many inventions were various military engines including the claw of Archimedes, later used to resist the Roman siege of 214 BC–212 BC. The Claw ( harpágē, "snatcher" of Archimedes was an ancient weapon devised by Archimedes to defend the seaward portion of Syracuse The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Literary figures included Theocritus and others. Theocritus ( Greek: Θεόκριτος the creator of Ancient Greek Bucolic Poetry, flourished in the 3rd century BC

Hiero's successor, the young Hieronymus (ruled from 215 BC), broke the alliance with the Romans after their defeat at Cannae and accepted Carthago's support. Hieronymus (d 215 BC was a Tyrant of Syracuse. He succeeded his grandfather Hiero II, in 216 BC Cannae is also a band from Boston Massachusetts Cannae (mod Canne della Battaglia) is an ancient village of the Apulia region Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers The Romans, led by consul Marcus Claudius Marcellus, besieged the city in 214 BC. Marcus Claudius Marcellus (ca 268 BC-208 BC was a Roman general one of the commanders of the Roman Army during the Second Punic War and the conqueror of Syracuse The city held out for three years, but fell in 212 BC. It is believed to have fallen due to a peace party opening a small door in the wall to negotiate a peace, but the Romans charged through the door and took the city, killing Archimedes in the process.

From Roman domination to the Middle Ages

Though declining slowly by the years, Syracuse maintained the status of capital of the Roman government of Sicily and seat of the praetor. Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities the commander of an Army, either before It remained an important port for the trades between the Eastern and the Western parts of the Empire. Christianity spread in the city through the efforts of Paul of Tarsus and Saint Marziano, the first bishop of the city, who made it one of the main centres of proselytism in the West. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Paul the apostle (שאול התרסי Šaʾul HaTarsi, meaning " Saul of Tarsus " Σαούλ Saul and Σαῦλος Saulos and Proselytism is the practice of attempting to convert people to another opinion and particularly another religion In the age the persecutions massive catacombs were carved, whose size are second only to those of Rome. The first Burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie beneath San Sebastiano fuori le mura, in Rome.

After a period of Vandal rule, Syracuse and the island was recovered by Belisarius for the Byzantine Empire (31 December 535). Flavius Belisarius (Βελισάριος (505(? – 565 was one of the greatest Generals of the Byzantine Empire and one of the most acclaimed generals in history Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Events By Place Byzantine Empire Justinian I orders Belisarius to start the reconquest of Italy; Mundus From 663 to 668 Syracuse was the seat of Emperor Constans II, as well as metropolis of the whole Sicilian Church. Constans II ( Greek: Κώνστας Β' Kōnstas II) also called "Constantine the Bearded" ( Kōnstantinos Pogonatos) ( November 7

Another siege in 878, which ended with the fierce sack of the city, began two centuries of Muslim rule. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Syracuse lost its capital status in favour of Palermo. Palermo ( Sicilian: Palermu, Greek: Panormus, al-Madinah during Muslim rule is a historic City in The Cathedral was turned into a mosque and the quarter on the Ortygia island was gradually rebuilt along Islamic styles. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger The city, anyway, maintained important trade relationships, and housed a relatively flourishing cultural and artistic life: several Arab poets, including Ibn Hamdis, the most important Sicilian poet of the 12th century, lived here. Ibn Hamdis (c 1056 - c 1133 was a Sicilian Arab poet He was born in Noto, near Syracuse.

In 1038, the Byzantine general George Maniaces reconquered the city, sending the relics of St. George Maniakes (Γεώργιος Μανιάκης transliterated as Georgios Maniaces, Maniakis, or Maniaches, Giorgio Maniace (d Lucy to Constantinople. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS The eponymous castle on the cape of Ortygia bears his name, although it was built under the Hohenstaufen rule. In 1085 the Normans entered Syracuse, one of the last Saracen strongholds, after a summer-long siege by Roger I of Sicily and his son Jordan of Hauteville, who was given the city as count. The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Saracen was a term used by Europeans in the Middle Ages for Fatimids at first then later for all who professed the religion of Islam. Roger I (1031 &ndash June 22, 1101) called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101 Jordan of Hauteville (born after 1056 - died 12/18/ 19 September 1092) was the eldest son and bastard of Roger I of Sicily. New quarters were built, and the cathedral was restored, as well as other churches.

In 1194 Henry VI of Swabia occupied Syracuse. Henry VI (November 1165 – 28 September 1197) was King of Germany from 1190 to 1197 Holy Roman Emperor from 1191 to 1197 and King Swabia, Suabia, or Svebia ( German: Schwaben, Schwabenland or Ländle) is both a historic and linguistic After a short period of Genoese rule (1205–1220), which favoured a rise of trades, Syracuse was conquered back by emperor Frederick II. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Frederick II ( December 26, 1194 &ndash December 13, 1250) of the Hohenstaufen dynasty was a Pretender to the title He began the construction of the Castello Maniace, the Bishops' Palace and the Bellomo Palace. The Castello Maniace is a Citadel and Castle in Syracuse, Sicily. Frederick's death brought a period of unrest and feudal anarchy. In the struggle between the Anjou and Aragonese monarchies, Syracuse sided with the Aragonese and defeated the Anjou in 1298, receiving from the Spanish sovereigns great privileges in reward. Anjou is a former County (c 880) Duchy ( 1360) and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower The pre-eminence of baronal families is also showed by the construction of the palaces of Abela, Chiaramonte, Nava, Montalto. The Chiaramonte were an ancient noble family of Sicily, claiming descent from Charlemagne they became the most powerful and wealthy family in Sicily Nava is a municipality in the Autonomous Community of the Principality of Asturias, Spain.

Modern Syracuse

The city was struck by two ruinous earthquakes in 1542 and 1693, and a plague in 1729. The 17th century destruction changed forever the appearance of Syracuse, as well as the entire Val di Noto, whose cities were rebuilt along the typical lines of Sicilian Baroque, considered one of the most typical expressions of art of Southern Italy. Val di Noto (English Vallum of Noto) is a geographical area of south east Sicily; it is dominated by the Limestone Iblean Sicilian Baroque is the distinctive form of Baroque architecture that took hold on the island of Sicily The spread of cholera in 1837 led to a revolt against the Bourbon government. Cholera, sometimes known as Asiatic cholera or epidemic cholera, is an infectious Gastroenteritis caused by the Bacterium The House of Bourbon is an important European Royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. The punishment was the move of the province capital seat to Noto, but the unrest had not been totally choked, as the Siracusani took part in the Sicilian revolution of independence of 1848. Noto (Latin Neetum and Netum; Notu in Sicilian, Nuotu in the local dialect is a city The Sicilian revolution of independence of 1848 occurred in a year replete with revolutions and popular revolts

After the Unification of Italy of 1865, Syracuse regained its status of provincial capital. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian In 1870 the walls were demolished and a bridge connecting the mainland to Ortygia island was built. In the following year a railway link was constructed.

Heavy destruction was caused by the Allied and the German bombings in 1943. Operation Husky, the allied invasion of Sicily was launched on the night of 9th/10th July 1943 with British forces attacking the west of the island. The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis General Montgomery's Eighth Army captured Syracuse on the first day of the invasion almost unopposed. Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, KG, GCB, DSO, PC, (məntˈgʌmərɪ əv ˈæləmeɪn The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns It was a British The port was then used as a base for the Royal Navy. ^[2] To the west of the city is a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery where about a 1000 men are buried. Syracuse War Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission burial ground for the dead of World War II located near Syracuse on the island of Sicily After the end of World War II the northern quarters of Syracuse experienced a heavy, often chaotic, expansion, favoured by the quick process of industrialization. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Syracuse today has about 125,000 inhabitants and numerous attractions for the visitor interested in historical sites (such as the Ear of Dionysius). The Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio di Dionisio is an artificial Limestone cave carved out of the Temenites hill in the city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily A process of recovering and restoring the historical centre has been ongoing since the 1990s. Nearby places of note include Catania, Noto, Modica and Ragusa. Catania ( Greek: &ndash Katánē; Latin: Catăna and Catĭna; Arabic: Noto (Latin Neetum and Netum; Notu in Sicilian, Nuotu in the local dialect is a city Modica ( Greek:, Latin: Mutyca or Motyca) is a city in the Province of Ragusa, Sicily. Ragusa ( Raùsa in Sicilian) is a city in southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of

Main sights

Ancient buildings

• The Temple of Apollo, adapted to a church in Byzantine times and to a mosque under Arab rule.
• The Fountain of Arethusa, in the Ortygia island. The Arethuse is a fountain on the island of Ortygia in Syracuse, Sicily. According to a legend, the nymph Arethusa, hunted by Alpheus, took shelter here. In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form Arethusa (Ἀρέθουσα means "the waterer" She was a nymph and daughter of Nereus (making her a Nereid) and later became a fountain on the island
• The Theatre, whose cavea is one of the largest ever built by the ancient Greeks: it has 67 rows, divided into nine sections with eight aisles. In Roman times the cavea were the subterranean cells in which wild animals were confined before the combats in the Roman arena or amphitheatre Only traces of the scene and the orchestra remain. An orchestra is an instrumental ensemble, usually fairly large with string brass woodwind sections and possibly a percussion section as well The edifice (still used today) was modified by the Romans, who adapted it to their different style of spectacles, including also circus games. Near the theatre are the latomìe, stone quarries, also used as prisons in ancient times. The most famous latomìa is the Orecchio di Dionisio ("Ear of Dionysius"). The Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio di Dionisio is an artificial Limestone cave carved out of the Temenites hill in the city of Syracuse, on the island of Sicily
• The Roman amphitheatre, of Roman Imperial age. It was partly carved out from the rock. In the centre of the area is a rectangular space which was used for the scenic machinery.
• The so-called Tomb of Archimede, in the Grotticelli Nechropolis. Decorated with two Doric columns, it was a Roman tomb.
• The Temple of Olympian Zeus, about 3 km outside the city, built around 6th century BC. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology The 6th century BC started the first day of 600 BC and ended the last day of 501 BC.

Churches

• The Cathedral was built by bishop Zosimo in the 7th century over the great Temple of Athens (5th century BC), on the Ortygia island. This was a Doric edifice with six columns on the short sides and 14 on the long ones: these can still be seen incorporated in the walls of the current church. The Doric order was one of the three '''orders''' or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or Classical architecture; the other two Canonical The base of the Greek edifice had three steps. The interior of the church has a nave and two aisles. The roof of the nave is from Norman times, as well as the mosaics in the apses. The façade was rebuilt by Andrea Palma in 1725–1753, with a double order of Corinthian columns, and statues by Ignazio Marabitti. Andrea Palma was an 18th century Sicilian Architect, born in Palermo, working in the Baroque style The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman Architecture, characterized The most interesting pieces of the interior are a font with marble basin (12th–13th century), a silver statue of St. Lucy by Pietro Rizzo (1599), a ciborium by Luigi Vanvitelli, and a statue of the Madonna della Neve ("Madonna of the Snow", 1512) by Antonello Gagini. A ciborium (plural ciboria) is a covered container used in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and related churches to store the consecrated hosts Luigi Vanvitelli ( May 12, 1700, Naples &ndash March 1 1773, Caserta) was an Italian engineer and architect Antonello Gagini (1478 &ndash 1536 was an Italian sculptor of the Renaissance, mainly active in Sicily and Calabria.
• Basilica of Santa Lucia extra Moenia, a Byzantine church built, according to tradition, in the same place of the martyrdom of the saint in 303 AD. Extra moenia is a Latin phrase that means outside the walls or outside the walls of the city. The current appearance is from the 15th-16th centuries. The most ancient parts still preserved include the portal, the three half-circular apses and the first two orders of the belfry. Under the church are the Catacombs of St. Lucy.
• Church of San Paolo (18th century).
• Church of San Cristoforo (14th century, rebuilt in the 18th century).
• Church of Santa Lucìa alla Badìa, a Baroque edifice built after the 1693 earthquake.
• Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli (13th century).
• Church of the Spirito Santo (18th century).
• Church of the Jesuite College, a majestic, Baroque building.
• Church of St. Benedict (16th century, restored after 1693). It houses a painting of the Death of Saint Benedict by the Caravaggisti Mario Minniti. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, usually just known as Caravaggio, (28 September 1571 – 18 July 1610 was an Italian Artist active in Rome Mario Minniti ( 8 December 1577 – 22 November 1640) was an Italian artist active in Sicily after 1606
• Chiesa della Concezione (14th century, rebuilt in the 18th century), with the annexed Benedictine convent.
• Church of San Francesco all'Immacolata, with a convex façade intermingled by columns and pilaster strips. It housed and ancient celebration, the Svelata ("Revelation"), in which an image of the Madonna was unveiled at dawn of November 29. Events 1777 - San Jose California, is founded as el Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe
• Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, built by the Normans and destroyed in 1693. Only partially restored it was erected over an ancient crypt of the martyr San Marciano, later destroyed by the Arabs. The main altar is Byzantine. It includes the Catacombs of San Giovanni, featuring a maze of tunnels and passages, with thousands of tombs and several frescoes.

Other edifices and sights

• The Castello Maniace, constructed between 1232 and 1240, is an example of the military architecture of Frederick II's reign. The Castello Maniace is a Citadel and Castle in Syracuse, Sicily. It is a square structure with circular towers at each of the four corners. The most striking feature is the pointed portal, decorated with polychrome marbles.
• The important Archaeological Museum, with collections including findings from the mid-Bronze Age to 5th century BC.
• Palazzo Lanza Buccheri (16th century).
• Palazzo Mergulese-Montalto (14th century), which conserves the old façade from the 14th century, with a pointed portal.
• The Archbishop's Palace (17th century, modified in the following century). It houses the Alagonian Library, founded in the late 18th century.
• The Palazzo Vermexio, the current Town Hall, which includes fragments of an Ionic temple of the 5th century BC. The Ionic order column forms one of the three '''orders''' or '''organizational systems''' of Classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the
• Palazzo Francica Nava, with parts of the original 16th century building surviving.
• Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco, originally built in the Middle Ages but extensively modified between 1779 and 1788. It has a pleasant internal court.
• Palazzo Migliaccio (15th century), with notable lava inlay decorations.
• The Senate Palace, housing in the court an 18th century coach. In British English and Australian English, the term coach is used to refer to a large motor vehicle for conveying passengers
• The Castle of Euryalos, built nine kilometres outside the city by Dionysius the Elder and which was one of the most powerful fortresses of ancient times. It had three moats with a series of underground galleries which allowed the defenders to remove the materials the attackers could use to fill them.

Climate

Syracuse enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers. A Mediterranean climate is one that resembles the Climate of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, which includes over half of the area with this climate type world-wide

Weather averages for Syracuse
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	15 (59)	16 (61)	18 (64)	21 (70)	25 (77)	30 (86)	33 (91)	33 (91)	30 (86)	25 (77)	20 (68)	16 (61)	23 (73)
Average low °C (°F)	4 (39)	4 (39)	5 (41)	7 (45)	11 (52)	15 (59)	18 (64)	18 (64)	16 (61)	13 (55)	8 (46)	6 (43)	11 (52)
Precipitation mm (inches)	76 (3)	48 (1. In Meteorology, precipitation (also known as one class of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric 9)	41 (1. 6)	38 (1. 5)	23 (0. 9)	10 (0. 4)	5 (0. 2)	15 (0. 6)	36 (1. 4)	99 (3. 9)	56 (2. 2)	86 (3. 4)	533 (21)
Source: Weatherbase[3] 2008-02-19

International relations

Syracuse & the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Italy
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference	1200
Region†	Europe
Inscription history
Inscription	2005  (29th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Syracuse is involved in town twinning (known as gemellaggio in Italian), a mutual partnership with other cities. The Necropolis of Pantalica is a large Necropolis in Sicily with over 5000 tombs dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex To date Syracuse is only twinned to one town, fittingly as Syracuse was founded by Corinthians as a Corinthian colony, the modern day city of Corinth in Greece is twinned with it;^[4]

Partner city:

• Corinth

Since 2005, the entire city of Syracuse, along with the Necropolis of Pantalica which falls within the province of Syracuse, has been listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, a programme which aims to catalogue, name, and conserve sites of outstanding cultural or natural importance to the common heritage of humanity. Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Corinth, or Korinth ( Greek Κόρινθος ( is a city in Greece. The Necropolis of Pantalica is a large Necropolis in Sicily with over 5000 tombs dating from the 13th to the 7th centuries BC. The Province of Syracuse ( Provincia di Siracusa; Sicilian: Pruvincia di Sarausa) is a province in the autonomous island region A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic Nature, in the broadest sense is equivalent to the natural world, physical universe, material world or material universe. Humanity or mankind is the Human species Human nature (eg Compassion, Altruism) and the Human condition (the totality The deciding committee who evaluate potential candidates described their reasons for choosing Syracuse because "monuments and archeological sites situated in Syracuse are the finest example of outstanding architectural creation spanning several cultural aspects; Greek, Roman and Baroque", following on that Ancient Syracuse was "directly linked to events, ideas and literary works of outstanding universal significance". The Culture of Greece has evolved over thousands of years with its beginnings in the Mycenaean and Minoan Civilizations, continuing most notably into Classical Greece Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc ^[5]

Although nowhere near the level of historic importance of the Sicilian city, around the world there are municipalities and a city named after Syracuse. A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or Syracuse (locally ˈsɛrəkjuːs sometimes ˈsɪrəkjuːs or /ˈsɪərəkjuːs/ by non-natives is a city in Central New York, USA. The most numerous examples are in the United States, though the Sicilian city maintains no formal relationship with any transatlantic entities. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The term transatlantic refers to something occurring all the way across the Atlantic Ocean.

See also

• House of Siracusa
• Peloponnesian League
• Sicilian Expedition
• Sicilian Wars

References

External links

• Media related to Siracusa from the Wikimedia Commons.
• Coins from ancient Syracuse and Sicily
• Livius.org: History of Syracuse

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