Caffe Aretusa - SIRACUSA

On the seafront that connects the port to the castle, goes to embellish a panorama already very beautiful in itself. is full of plants of papyrus, fish and ducks, but unfortunately also some mouse. fascinating the mythological history of aretusa and alfeo that according to legend turns into river, the river that flows under the garden.

A dip in the myth of aretusa, in a place at least, where you can breathe antiquity and delicacy. I highly recommend renting earphones (5 euro) with the treatment of myth through the voices of three actors who will make you relive history as if it were before you.

One of the features attractions of siracusa. It's good to see both day and night. is characterized by the myth of aretusa, the encounter between fresh water and salt. the myth tells of alpheus, river god, who falls in love with a nymph of artemide, aretusa, not reciprocated. the latter to escape from the alphabet, with the help of the artemide, becomes a source, venting in ortigia. Alphaeus, he did not gather and turned into a river beside his beloved. recommended.

Nice place! the legend about its origin told by the audioguide was really exciting and exciting, almost relive and immedesimare in the history of aretusa and alfeo. it is relaxing to watch the ochettes and fish swim between the papyrus. purtoppo because of the covido it was not possible to visit the aquarium, a real sin, would have been interesting. the only point of unfavour that despite the urban hygiene service of ortigia always cleans, being a highly touristic place, often happens to find garbage and cicche of cigarettes around the spring ferrata, ruining the enchanted atmosphere of the place.

The famous source of aretusa is one of the undisputed attractions of the island of ortigia and over the centuries has inspired a large number of poets, including Virgili, who cites the source in the hellennium and in other works. the beautiful myth concerning the genesis of the source tells of the beautiful nymph aretusa loved without hope by alpheus, son of ocean: escaped from him aretusa found himself on the island of ortigia, where artemis accepted his request for help by turning it into a source. alpheus, desperate, was transformed by zeus in the homonymous river of the haiponnesus, which according to the myth would affect here. the myth explains the wonder of an underground river that flows into the island of ortigia and symbolizes at the same time the connection between the syracuse and the motherland. the source has changed appearance over the course of time and today it presents itself as a circular basin rich in life, since in the waters of aretusa there are numerous leaping fishes and spontaneously grows the wild papyrus, being this one of the two only European places (even the other in Sicily, but in the province of catania) suitable for the development of the papyrus outside the Egyptian. from the top of the source there is a perfect viewpoint to admire the western coast of siracusa, as well as the source, which you can also visit internally. despite the unfailing environmental situation, it is still a mythical, enchanted and really suggestive place.