Fountain of Arethusa

Coordinates: 37°3′26.12″N 15°17′34.48″E / 37.0572556°N 15.2929111°E / 37.0572556; 15.2929111
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The Fountain of Arethusa with papyrus plants

The Fountain of Arethusa (

Arcadia.[2]

The fountain is mentioned in a number of works of literature, for instance

Idylls (I, l. 117). Virgil reckons the eponymous nymph as the divinity who inspired bucolic or pastoral poetry. In Moby-Dick, Herman Melville writes that waters from the fountain were said to come from the Holy Land.[3]

The Fountain of Arethusa, the river Ciane, south of Syracuse, and the river Fiume Freddo in the province of Catania are the only places in Europe where papyrus grows.

Currently, the fountain is one of the most-visited sites in Syracuse.[4] The Fountain of Arethusa and Saint Lucy are considered the two symbols and patrons of the city, represented in the motto City of Water and Light.[5]

References

  1. ^ Suda Encyclopedia. § al.3416.
  2. ^ Virgil, Georgics 4.344
  3. ^ Melville, Herman (1951) [1851]. "Chapter XLI". Moby-Dick. Random House Modern Library edition. p. 181.
  4. ^ Cord, David (2023). The Spring of Arethusa. p. 104.
  5. ^ Federculture. "Capitale Italiana Della Cultura 2024 Città Candidata Siracusa 2024, Città d'Acqua e di Luce". Comune di Siracusa. Citta di Siracusa. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

37°3′26.12″N 15°17′34.48″E / 37.0572556°N 15.2929111°E / 37.0572556; 15.2929111