Ortigia 
-°C | Ortigia |
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The island has always been the heart of the city, witness the fact that since the age of ancient bronze was inhabited, and also testify remains of circular huts of the XIV century. BC referable to the culture of Thapsos. The subsequent arrival of the Greeks had not be violent, because as Thucydides speaks, the island seems to have been abandoned by residents who retreated inland. At the heart of Ortigia is the Duomo, with its Baroque facade, built incorporating the greek temple of Athena. From the latter comes a slab of fittile Gorgone which takes in his arms Pegaso kept in the local archaeological museum along with countless other artefacts. According to Cicero many treasures of the temple were stolen by the notorious Roman governor Verre. Already in the Greek era, Ortigia has played a major role of political and administrative centre which has maintained even in later eras. Nell'isolotto aretuseo fact there was located the palace of the tyrant, that of Dionysius the first and Gerone II onwards. In the Middle Ages and up to the first century, the island was contentuta within mighty walls that had made a military, the walls were torn down in nineteenth time. After the gradual abandonment of the historic center occurred between the seventies and eighties of the twentieth century and the consequent increase in crime and degradation, the island has been the subject of a series of urban regeneration projects including Urban. Through incentives on restructuring and economic activities, the island has undergone an eye-opening thanks completed development of several hotels, including a five star hotel that arise in the postal building and the museum of the sea which was initially intended to rise in the tuna fishery Santa Panagia. |
