Ortigia and the Summer Lemon

A shaded courtyard in Ortigia, Syracuse. We are driving into Syracuse to visit Ortigia, a one-square-kilometer island of ancient streets and limestone buildings that juts into the Ionian Sea. This little outcrop was once the heart of Syracuse, one of the most powerful cities of the ancient Mediterranean, and a place that has figured prominently in Sicilian history for nearly three thousand years. Ortigia has always had something that became its key strategic advantage. It’s a tiny islet, protected by water from direct land assaults, that happens to have a spring. Read the full article →