Tourism in Syracuse, Sicily

THE ISLAND OF ORTIGIA

The Arethusa Fountain of Syracuse

This curious freshwater fountain has the peculiarity of flowing right to the seashore.
This unusual phenomenon has affected the establishment of the city (that has its origins on the island of Ortigia thanks also to the presence of this spring) and has captured the imagination for millennia, making the fountain famous in legends and literature.
Since ancient times the fountain was, in fact, cited by poets and writers (Pindar, Moschus, Ovid, Virgil, and then John Milton, Alexander Pope, Gabriele D’Annunzio), and even inspired the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski.

In ancient Greek myth, the origin of the spring was attributed to the fate of a nymph, Arethusa, who was transformed by the goddess Artemis into a spring to escape the stalking courtship of the sea god Alpheus (son of Oceanus).

Arethusa Fountain Siracusa

He, in despair, was in turn transformed into a river by Zeus and succeeded in this way to finally mix his water with that of Arethusa.

The myth probably attempts to explain the brackish taste of the water, due to the infiltration of the bordering sea.

The fountain has changed in appearance many times over the centuries; the last was in 1540 when, constructing ramparts around the island of Ortigia, the Spanish reduced the lake of approximately 200 meters created by the spring, reducing it to the much smaller, semicircular pool (at the foot of the wall) that one sees now.
Demolished in 1847 the overlying walls, the bases of the ramparts were transformed into the Belvedere (rearranged in 1947) that one can admire today.

This pond also has a second peculiarity: at its center a collection of wild papyrus has grown for millennia, and, together with that of the Ciane/Anapo river, constitutes the only wild papyrus existing in Europe.
To the delight of youngsters, freshwater fish and domestic ducks swim in the deep water of the spring.

How to reach the Fountain of Arethusa from the Algilà Ortigia Charme Hotel.
With respect to the Hotel Algilà, one finds the Fountain of Arethusa on the opposite side of the island of Ortigia. The entrance to the Aquarium opens onto the foot of the Spanish ramparts, a few meters from the seaside and the Arethusa Fountain.
Given the modest size of the island, one can easily reach it by foot, perhaps visiting Piazza Duomo along the way.
For those, however, who don’t want or cannot go by foot, bus #20 is available (which makes a loop around Ortigia every 30 minutes, and runs from 7:20 a.m. to 1:30 a.m every day), as well as a taxi service or the complimentary bicycles that the Hotel Algilà makes available to its guests.
The hotel’s reception desk is available for information on the availability and reservation of taxis.

Visitor information.
One can admire the fountain from above, from Belvedere, which runs along all sides. No architectural barriers exist, and the descent between the top and the base of the ramparts is served by a ramp and not a stairway.
Those who wish to admire the fountain from ground level can enter the Aquarium (with a ticket), make their way to the exit on the sea, and directly reach to the wall of the fountain.

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