Siracusa (all images)

Siracusa (Syracuse in English) is a small city of 123000 inhabitants located on the western coast of Sicily close to its southern tip. Siracusa has a long 2700-years history, and has played an important role in antiquity. The city was founded by Greek settlers from Corinth in 734 BC and became the most important city of the Magna Grecia area in southern Italy. After conquest by the Romans, Siracusa experienced a period slow decline. Nowadays only the Neapolis archaeological area reminds of the ancient times. The historic core of Siracusa on Ortygia island contains many beautiful renessaince and baroque era buildings. Siracusa and the rocky necropolis of Pantalica have been listed as UNESCO world heritage sites since 2005.