Photo spot in Syracuse
Fonte Aretusa and its papyrus
A freshwater spring on the seafront, ringed by stone and filled with papyrus growing wild — the only such stand in Europe.
About Fonte Aretusa and its papyrus
Get directionsA few metres from the sea, on the western edge of Ortigia, a freshwater spring rises into a circular stone basin. Greek myth says it is the nymph Arethusa, turned into a spring to escape a river god; more practically, it is a natural phenomenon that supplied the ancient city with drinking water, and it is filled with papyrus that has grown here since antiquity.
As a location it is small and unusually green in a city of white stone. The papyrus makes a soft, tall, moving background that no other Sicilian spot offers, and the stone parapet around the basin puts subjects at a comfortable height. Ducks and fish keep it lively. Immediately behind, the sea promenade runs along the walls with the harbour beyond, so you can turn from an enclosed green frame to open water in a single step.
It faces west, which makes late afternoon and sunset the working hours: the light comes off the harbour and lands on the papyrus and the parapet. It is free, always accessible and level, and the promenade next to it is one of the few genuinely wheelchair-friendly stretches in the old town. Evening walkers and gelato queues fill the spot after dinner; before sunset it is calm.
Best time to shoot
Late afternoon and sunset, when the light comes off the harbour onto the papyrus
Tips
Free, level and wheelchair-friendly along the promenade. It fills with evening walkers after dinner, so shoot before sunset.
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Real reviews from Syracuse photoshoots
Martina B.
Much more than a photographer — where his photographs end, the memories begin! I've known Marco Miglianti since I was a child. He photographed my First Communion and my Confirmation, so when the time came to choose a photographer for our…
Marco M.
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Abby L.
We are in love with our photos from Gianmarco! He was such an honor to work with and an even bigger honor to have been captured by! Gianmarco made the whole day feel effortless by helping to curate effortless portraits and by capturing all…
Gianmarco V.
Photographer
Ann-Marie T.
My husband Ted and I started planning our elopement at the end of 2020. Planning a wedding, no matter how big or how small, still requires a lot of decisions and meticulous organisation. In our case it also took complete trust in our…
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Other spots in Syracuse
Piazza Duomo in Ortigia at blue hour
A long white limestone square, closed to traffic, with a baroque cathedral built around the columns of a Greek temple.
Castello Maniace and the Lungomare Alfeo
The fortress on the very tip of the island, approached along a seafront promenade of palm trees and low walls above the water.
Ready to book?
Our concierge team will hand-pick 2-3 photographers who know Fonte Aretusa and its papyrus — free of charge.
