Italy · Sicilia · Siracusa
Ortygia, Siracusa — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Ortygia is the small island holding Siracusa's historical centre, the Città Vecchia, with Castello Maniace shutting its seaward end.
About Ortygia
Where to stay in Ortygia
Each area has its own feel; here's who each one suits.
Ortygia and the historical centre of Siracusa are the same ground, so a room on the island is a room inside the Città Vecchia itself. Castello Maniace anchors the far end. Temple of Athena, Palazzo Bellomo Museum, and Santa Lucia alla Badia stand within a few lanes of one another, so a bed almost anywhere on the island puts the whole of them inside a walk rather than a ride.
About Ortygia
What are the main landmarks in Ortygia?
Ortygia carries the monuments of the Città Vecchia in a short span of streets. Temple of Athena and Temple of Artemis both survive here, Castello Maniace holds the seaward point, and Palazzo Bellomo Museum, Museo dei pupi, and Spirito Santo fill the lanes between them. The Aquarium of Syracuse works the same ground.
Greek Theatre of Syracuse belongs to Neapolis instead, out on the mainland side of the city rather than here.
What is the history of Ortygia?
No founding year is recorded for Ortygia itself, so the island's chronology is the one it shares with Siracusa as a whole. Greek work is still legible on the island in two temples. Temple of Athena survives.
Temple of Artemis lies in the same ground, and the churches that came after them, from Santa Lucia alla Badia to Chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti, stand along lanes that the Città Vecchia never outgrew.
Where is Ortygia?
Ortygia is a small island at the seaward end of Siracusa, tied to the mainland quarters and holding the Città Vecchia inside its own shore.
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More areas in Siracusa
Updated September 2026