The Mercato di Ortigia in Siracusa is the finest daily food market in Sicily -- held every morning (except Sunday) in and around the Via Trento and Piazza Cesare Battisti on the island of Ortigia (the 740 metres by 450 metres island that forms the historic centre of Syracuse, connected to the mainland by two bridges). The market's specific character: it combines the fish market tradition of the Ionian coast with the vegetable and herb culture of the fertile Siracusa hinterland and the specific street food tradition that has evolved at the market stalls since the Arab period of Sicilian history (827-1072 AD). The abbanniate: the market vendors' traditional singing calls (abbanniate -- the street cry tradition, each vendor developing a specific melodic call for their product) were recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2013 as part of the Sicilian Opera dei Pupi and the wider Sicilian oral tradition designation. What the market has that Palermo's Ballar does not: the specific Siracusa ingredients -- the red shrimp of Marzamemi (gambero rosso di Marzamemi, the most prized shrimp in Sicily), the Pachino cherry tomatoes (DOP, grown in the volcanic soil of the Ragusa-Siracusa coast), and the early morning granita di mandorla (almond granita with warm brioche col tuppo, the ritual Sicilian breakfast). Sicily guide
Plan my Italy trip →Location: Via Trento, Piazza Cesare Battisti, Ortigia island, Siracusa | Open: Monday-Saturday 7am-2pm | Highlight products: Gambero rosso di Marzamemi, Pachino DOP tomatoes, swordfish, granita di mandorla | Street food: Stigghiola, arancini, panino con salsiccia | Best time: 7-9am for atmosphere and fresh products
The Ortigia market has a specific physical layout: the fish market (ittica) occupies the covered section around the Via Trento with the most theatrical displays; the vegetable and fruit vendors line the Piazza Cesare Battisti and the streets leading to the Fontana di Diana; the street food stalls cluster near the Piazza Archimede. Reading the fish display: the swordfish heads displayed on the fishmonger stalls (the entire sword-nosed head, approximately 1 metre long, positioned as the centrepiece of the stall) are not for sale -- they are advertisement, indicating that the vendor has entire swordfish available to be cut to the customer's specification in the back. The specific Siracusa swordfish tradition: the Ionian strait between Sicily and the Italian mainland (the Stretto di Messina, 3 km wide at its narrowest) is the primary Mediterranean swordfish migration route; the Siracusa fishermen use the traditional 'palamitara' boat for the specific palamitura (swordfish hunt) tradition. The gambero rosso di Marzamemi: the red shrimp from the fishing village of Marzamemi (30 km south of Siracusa, on the southernmost cape of Sicily) is the most prized fresh shrimp in Italy -- the specific deep cold-water habitat (150-300 metres depth) of the Sicilian channel gives the shrimp its characteristic intensely sweet flavour and vivid red colour. Eaten raw (crudo di gambero rosso) at the market stalls approximately EUR 15-20/portion in season.
The 7am granita breakfast at the Ortigia market is the most specifically Sicilian food experience available in southeastern Sicily: a granita di mandorla (almond granita -- a semi-frozen almond paste base dissolved in water and granita-spun to the specific crystalline texture that distinguishes Sicilian granita from sorbet) served in a wide shallow bowl, accompanied by a warm brioche col tuppo (the Sicilian bun with the characteristic round topknot, split and used to scoop the granita). The almond granita character: slightly sweet, intensely almond, the specific flavour of the Avola almond (the Siracusa province is the primary producer of the Avola DOP almond -- a small, flat, intensely flavoured almond variety from the Noto valley). The market granita bars: two or three granita bars open at 6:30-7am specifically for the market workers and early visitors; they are recognisable by the queues of market vendors, fishermen, and local workers taking the pre-shift granita. This is the specific early-morning Sicilian food culture -- the granita breakfast at these bars is approximately EUR 3-4 for the full experience.
The abbanniate (also abbanniate, from the Sicilian verb 'abbanniare' -- to call out, to hawk one's wares) are the melodic street cries developed by Sicilian market vendors -- each vendor has their specific melodic call for their product, often in dialect, often extended into a near-musical phrase. The tradition connects to the Arab market culture of medieval Sicily (827-1072 AD) when the mercato tradition was introduced by Arab traders and administrators; the specific melodic quality of the abbanniate is specifically linked to Arabic and North African market call traditions. The Ortigia market vendors still practise the abbanniate -- arriving in the early morning (7-8am) when the market is at full activity, you can hear the calls of the fishmongers, the vegetable vendors, and the street food stalls overlapping in the specific polyphonic market soundscape that UNESCO recognised in 2013. Sicily complete guide
The Mercato di Ortigia (Ortigia market in Syracuse, Sicily) is the finest daily food market in Sicily -- held Monday-Saturday 7am-2pm in and around Via Trento on the Ortigia island historic centre. Key products: gambero rosso di Marzamemi (the most prized Sicilian shrimp, eaten raw), Pachino DOP cherry tomatoes, swordfish with the heads displayed as advertisement, and the morning granita di mandorla breakfast (almond granita with warm brioche). The abbanniate (the melodic vendor street calls, UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2013) give the market its specific soundscape. Best visited 7-9am.
The gambero rosso di Marzamemi (red shrimp of Marzamemi) are Mediterranean red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea) caught at 150-300 metres depth in the Sicilian channel near the fishing village of Marzamemi (30 km south of Siracusa). The deep cold-water habitat gives the shrimp its characteristic intensely sweet flavour, vivid red colour, and the specific texture that chefs describe as the finest raw shrimp in Italy. Eaten raw (crudo di gambero rosso) at the Ortigia market stalls, approximately EUR 15-20/portion in season (May-October is the primary season, though some catch continues year-round). Available at the Ortigia fish market and at the Marzamemi fishing village restaurants directly.
Ortigia is the historic island centre of Siracusa (Syracuse) in southeastern Sicily -- connected to the mainland by two bridges (the Ponte Santa Lucia and the Ponte Umbertino). From Siracusa train station: approximately 15 minutes walk to the Ortigia bridges. From Catania: 60 km, approximately 1 hour by car via the A18 autostrada; by train approximately 1h 15min (Trenitalia Catania-Siracusa regional). From Palermo: 260 km, approximately 3 hours by car or 3h 30min by train. Siracusa/Ortigia accommodation: the most desirable accommodation is on the Ortigia island itself; mid-range B&Bs approximately EUR 70-130/night with sea views over the Porto Grande.
Ortigia market street food: stigghiola (lamb intestines skewered and grilled over charcoal -- the most specifically Sicilian market street food, pungent and flavourful; a product of the Arab-influenced Sicilian offal cooking tradition); arancini (fried rice balls, the Siracusa version using the ragout-and-mozzarella filling rather than the Palermo al burro variant); panino con salsiccia (sandwich with the Siracusa-area fresh pork sausage, grilled on the spot); and the morning granita di mandorla (described above as the ritual morning experience). The stigghiola stall at the Ortigia market is one of the most photographed food experiences in Siracusa -- the charcoal grill, the lamb intestine skewers, and the specific market vendor selling to a queue of locals at 8am is the quintessential Sicilian market food image.
Ortigia market 7am granita + swordfish raw gambero + Noto Baroque city + Scala dei Turchi + Villa Romana del Casale -- the complete southeast Sicily circuit.
Plan my Sicily trip →Ortigia (or Isola di Ortigia) is the historic island centre of Siracusa (Syracuse) -- a 740-metre by 450-metre island connected to the mainland by two bridges, containing the medieval and Baroque historic centre of one of the most important cities in antiquity. Ancient Siracusa (Syracusae) was founded by Corinthian colonists in 734 BC and became the most powerful Greek city in the western Mediterranean -- at its height in the 5th-4th centuries BC, it was the largest city in Europe (surpassing Athens in population) and the primary resistance against Carthaginian and Athenian expansion in Sicily. The archaeological heritage: the Greek Theatre (5th century BC, still used for summer performances), the Ear of Dionysius (a 23-metre tall cave in the Latomie stone quarries with extraordinary acoustic resonance), and the Neapolis Archaeological Park (entry EUR 13); the Cathedral of Siracusa (a Baroque church built around the columns of the 5th-century BC Temple of Athena -- the most complete example of a Greek temple incorporated into a Christian building in the world).
The Pachino cherry tomato (Pomodoro di Pachino IGP) is grown in the extreme southern tip of Sicily around the Pachino and Portopalo area (province of Siracusa, approximately 40 km south of Siracusa). The IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) designation was granted in 2003. The specific character: the Pachino tomatoes (sold in the cherry, datterino/date, costoluto/ribbed, and ciliegino/small cherry formats) have a specifically high sugar content (Brix index 7-9 versus 5-6 for standard commercial tomatoes) from the combination of the volcanic mineral soil, the intense Sicilian sun, and the specific salinity of the irrigation water (saline wells with slightly brackish water stress the plants, concentrating the sugar and flavour). The Pachino tomatoes at the Ortigia market are picked the previous evening and arrive at the market pre-dawn -- the specific freshness of the just-harvested product is the Ortigia market advantage over purchasing in a Florence or Milan supermarket.
Ortigia market versus Palermo Ballar (the two principal Sicilian food markets): the Ballar in Palermo is the larger and more theatrically dramatic -- a centuries-old market in the Arab quarter of Palermo with the highest density of vendor calls, street food, and the specific Palermo market tradition (stigghiola, pani ca meusa -- the spleen sandwich, panelle -- the chickpea fritters); the Ortigia market is smaller, calmer, and specifically Siracusan in character. For street food intensity and urban theatre: Ballar wins. For specific Siracusa products (gambero rosso di Marzamemi, Pachino tomatoes, the specific southeastern Sicily seafood tradition) and the calmer morning experience: Ortigia is more rewarding. Both markets operate mornings only (7am-1pm); both require early arrival (before 9am) for the full experience before the day visitors arrive.
Siracusa beyond the Ortigia market: the Neapolis Archaeological Park (accessible by bus or 20-minute walk from Ortigia -- the Greek Theatre 5th century BC, the Roman Amphitheatre 2nd century AD, the Ear of Dionysius limestone cave with the extraordinary acoustic properties, the Latomie del Paradiso rock quarries; entry approximately EUR 13, 2-3 hours); the Ortigia Cathedral (the Baroque church built around the 5th-century BC Temple of Athena, with the original Greek Doric columns visible in the nave walls -- the most complete integration of a Greek temple and a Christian church in the world, free entry); the Fonte Aretusa (the freshwater spring on the Ortigia waterfront, surrounded by papyrus plants -- the mythological spring of the nymph Arethusa who fled Elis and emerged in Sicily; the papyrus is the only European wild papyrus stand outside Egypt); and the Museo Regionale Paolo Orsi (the finest archaeological museum in Sicily, with the Landolina Venus and the Siracusa Greek sculpture collection, entry approximately EUR 8).
The Val di Noto Baroque towns (UNESCO 2002) are within 50 km of Siracusa: Noto (30 km southwest -- the most completely Baroque city in Italy, rebuilt entirely after the 1693 earthquake in the specific late Baroque architectural vocabulary; the Corso Vittorio Emanuele with the Cathedral facade is the most photographed Sicilian Baroque streetscape); Ragusa Ibla (60 km southwest -- the lower Baroque town rebuilt on the original medieval street pattern after 1693; the Church of San Giorgio with its specific curved facade and the staircase approach is the finest single Baroque church facade in Sicily); Modica (65 km southwest -- the chocolate capital of Sicily, using the original Aztec-derived chocolate recipe without sugar heating that produces the specific gritty, intense Modica chocolate bar); and Scicli (70 km southwest -- the smallest and least visited of the main Val di Noto towns, with an extraordinary concentration of Baroque facades and the specific Sicilian Baroque window decoration). The Val di Noto circuit from Siracusa makes a complete 2-day itinerary.