Located near the Southeastern corner of Sicily on the Ionian coast, Syracuse is built on an ancient Greek settlement founded by Corinthians in 734 BC. Syracuse was the city of Archimedes, Pindar and Aeschylus, whose plays are still performed in the huge amphitheater and it is the city of Italy that preserves more Greek history. Syracuse's older residential quarter is an island, Ortigia, from the Greek for quail, probably named for that bird's abundance in this area. Ortigia is connected with the island of Sicily through two short bridges and is known for, among many other things, the freshwater Spring of Arethus. It is the heart and at the same time the starting point for a visit to the valley of the Sicilian Baroque. Its cathedral, also perfectly raised and rebuilt again after 10 years of difficult work, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
