Fountain of Diana, Ortigia, Sicily

Fountain of Diana, Piazza Archimede, Ortigia, Sicily

One of the landmarks of the island of Ortigia in Sicily is the Fountain of Diana in Piazza Archimede. The fountain was built in 1907 by Giulio Moschetti for which he was paid 19,000 lire.

The sun reflecting through the water of the fountain adds urgency to the hunt

You may wonder what the Greek Goddess of the hunt is doing in the middle of Sicily. Much of southern Italy and Sicily were part of Greece, going back the 8th century B.C. and this area was called Magna Graecia, or greater Greece, so this fountain is a nod to that time.

Meet me at Piazza Archimedes

The fountain was restored in 1996 and again last year when some nice LED lights were added. The sculpture itself shows a chaotic scene, but look at Diana in the middle of it all, calm, cook and collected, just like the goddess of the hunt should be.

There's no doubt that Diana is in charge

There are lots of shops on the perimeter of Piazza Archiemede and a couple of caffes where you can sit and enjoy an espresso. Lots of people meet in the piazza, so it's a great place to people watch. 

Some folks chatting at the Piazza Archimedes

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