Destination wedding in Siracusa & Ortigia
An island within a city, where every alley ends at the sea.
Region
South East
Best months
April to June and September to early November. The island is exposed to the sea breeze, which makes even July evenings comfortable.
Getting there
One hour from Catania airport by car or bus. Civil ceremonies are celebrated in the Sala Rossa of Palazzo Vermexio and, in season, at Castello Maniace. Ortigia is largely pedestrian: plan a drop-off point and allow ten minutes of walking between venues.
Getting married in Siracusa & Ortigia
Ortigia, the historic island of Siracusa, is the most romantic square kilometre in Sicily. Honey-coloured limestone, sea on all sides, a baroque cathedral built inside a Greek temple, and light that bounces off the water into every narrow street. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and it photographs like a film set that happens to be inhabited.
For couples I usually build the day around three moments: preparation in a palazzo with shuttered windows and slats of light, the ceremony in the Duomo or at the sea-facing Castello Maniace, and the portrait session at the Fonte Aretusa and along the Lungomare di Levante as the sun drops behind the island.
Venues and locations I use in Siracusa & Ortigia
- Duomo di Siracusa — a cathedral built into a 5th century BC Greek temple
- Castello Maniace — Swabian fortress on the tip of Ortigia
- Fonte Aretusa — papyrus spring on the seafront
- Private baroque palazzi with internal courtyards for receptions
- Country masserie in the Plemmirio and Fontane Bianche area
Frequently asked questions
Can we marry legally inside Castello Maniace?
Yes, the Comune di Siracusa celebrates civil weddings there in the warm season. Dates are limited and usually reserved twelve months in advance.
Is Ortigia too crowded for photographs?
Not if you plan around it. At sunrise and in the last hour of light the alleys are almost empty, and that is when I schedule the couple session.
Nearby wedding destinations
Val di Noto
Noto
The capital of Sicilian baroque, carved in golden stone.
Ionian Coast
Catania
Black lava stone, baroque façades and a city that never stops moving.
South East
Marzamemi
A tuna fishing village with a piazza that opens onto the sea.
Val di Noto
Modica
Two hundred and fifty steps, one cathedral and the smell of chocolate.