Ortigia island, Greek theatre, and the finest street market in Sicily
Siracusa (Syracuse) was the most powerful Greek city in the western Mediterranean — larger than Athens at its peak, home of Archimedes, and the city that defeated the Athenian armada in 413 BCE. The island of Ortigia, connected by two bridges, is a labyrinth of Baroque palaces, ancient temples repurposed as churches, and the Mercato di Ortigia market where sword-fish, sea urchins, and wild fennel are laid out at dawn. The Greek amphitheatre is still in use for summer performances.
Founded by Corinthian colonists in 734 BCE, Siracusa grew to 300,000 people by the 5th century BCE — the largest city in the ancient world. It survived the Great Athenian Expedition (415–413 BCE), fell to Rome in 212 BCE after a two-year siege (during which Archimedes' war machines famously delayed the attack), and spent the following centuries under Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Aragonese, and Spanish rule — each era adding a layer to the architectural palimpsest of Ortigia.