Statue of Archimede

Right at the entrance of Ortigia, located between the two bridges, stands a beautiful bronze statue of the Syracusan genius Archimedes. High 2 meters and 60 cm, it is only the most conspicuous part of a monument much more complex and of a total height of 3 meters and 20 cm. The statue represents Archimedes standing looking at the sea holding a mirror to represent the famous enterprise of the burning mirrors, with which Archimedes burned the ships that were invading Siracusa. Below, in fact, has a stone base of Comiso (eight meters by eight), which reproduces the famous “game” Stomachion, creating an interesting perspective effect.

The artists who created the work are the Syracusan sculptor Pietro Marchese and the Genoese architect Virginia Rossello. It does not want to represent only the figure of Archimedes but also his thought. The 14 pieces of which the Stomachion is composed, have been designed on different heights and each of them is engraved with inlay a study of genius in the form of a symbol: the machines of Archimedes, the physics of solid and liquid bodies, the mathematics of large numbers, Archimedes and astronomy.

In the evening the base lights up and, in concert with the lights of the port, gives the statue a truly impressive effect.