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Syracuse, Sicily

8th-century BC establishments in ItalyArchaeological sites in SicilyCities and towns in SicilyCoastal towns in SicilyCorinthian colonies
Dorian colonies in Magna GraeciaGreek city-statesInstances of Lang-el using second unnamed parameterMediterranean port cities and towns in ItalyMunicipalities of the Province of SyracusePopulated places established in the 8th century BCSicilian BaroqueSyracuse, SicilyUse Oxford spelling from December 2018World Heritage Sites in Italy
Veduta aerea di Siracusa e con l'Etna sullo sfondo (Foto di Angelo Bonomo)
Veduta aerea di Siracusa e con l'Etna sullo sfondo (Foto di Angelo Bonomo)

Syracuse ( SIRR-ə-kewss, -⁠kewz; Italian: Siracusa [siraˈkuːza] (listen); Sicilian: Sarausa [saɾaˈuːsa]) is a historic city on the Italian island of Sicily, the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse. The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace of the pre-eminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. Syracuse is located in the southeast corner of the island of Sicily, next to the Gulf of Syracuse beside the Ionian Sea. It is situated in a drastic rise of land with 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) depths being close to the city offshore although the city itself is generally not so hilly in comparison. The city was founded by Ancient Greek Corinthians and Teneans and became a very powerful city-state. Syracuse was allied with Sparta and Corinth and exerted influence over the entirety of Magna Graecia, of which it was the most important city. Described by Cicero as "the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all", it equaled Athens in size during the fifth century BC. It later became part of the Roman Republic and the Byzantine Empire. Under Emperor Constans II, it served as the capital of the Byzantine Empire (663–669). Palermo later overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily. Eventually the kingdom would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860. In the modern day, the city is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site along with the Necropolis of Pantalica. In the central area, the city itself has a population of around 125,000 people. Syracuse is mentioned in the Bible in the Acts of the Apostles book at 28:12 as Paul stayed there. The patron saint of the city is Saint Lucy; she was born in Syracuse and her feast day, Saint Lucy's Day, is celebrated on 13 December.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Syracuse, Sicily (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Syracuse, Sicily
Via Madonna delle Lacrime, Syracuse

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Wikipedia: Syracuse, SicilyContinue reading on Wikipedia

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Latitude Longitude
N 37.069166666667 ° E 15.2875 °
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Madonna delle Lacrime

Via Madonna delle Lacrime
96100 Syracuse
Sicily, Italy
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Veduta aerea di Siracusa e con l'Etna sullo sfondo (Foto di Angelo Bonomo)
Veduta aerea di Siracusa e con l'Etna sullo sfondo (Foto di Angelo Bonomo)
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