Theprovince of Syracuse (Italian:provincia di Siracusa;Sicilian:pruvincia di Saragusa) was aprovince in the autonomous island region ofSicily, Italy. Its capital was the city ofSyracuse, a town established byGreek colonists arriving fromCorinth in the 8th century BC.[4] It had an area of 2,124 square kilometres (820 sq mi) and a total population of 403,985 in 2016. Syracuse had 8% of the Sicilian population and 8.2% of Sicily's area.
Following the suppression of the Sicilian provinces, it was replaced in August 2015 by thefree municipal consortium of Syracuse (Italian:libero consorzio comunale di Siracusa).[5]
The province of Syracuse lies in the southeastern Sicily, in southwestern Italy. It is bordered to the north and north-west by theprovince of Catania to the west by theprovince of Ragusa, and to the east and south by the Ionian and Mediterranean seas. It occupies an area of 2,109 square kilometres (814 sq mi). In 2002, ancient centres ofNoto,Palazzolo Acreide and six other towns in the Noto Valley, were awardedUNESCOWorld Heritage Site status, and is a significant attraction due to its historical, architectural, artistic and archaeological interest. The towns are particularly dense with late Baroque architecture, dates to the immense rebuilding of the towns which took place after the1693 earthquake which devastated Sicily.[6] The Park of Neapolis on the island ofOrtygia is connected by three bridges to the mainland.[7] The island contains theCastello Maniace, dated to theHohenstaufen period and the Doric Temple of Athena, which was renovated by theNormans.[7]
TheHyblaean Mountains are the dominant mountain range in the province, sloping down to a coastline which contains stretches of white sandy beaches, cliffs, bays, and islets.[7] The coast to the south of Syracuse contains numerous protected areas, such as the Area Marina Protetta del Plemmirio, the Riserva Naturale Orientara Cavagrande betweenCassibile andAvola, and the Riserva Naturale Orientata faunistica di Vendicar, north ofPachino.[8] Within the province liesLago di Lentini, the largest lake in Sicily,[9] and reputedly the largest artificial lake in Europe, which supports a marshland habitat with over 150 different species.[10]
As of 2025, there are 382,690 people residing in the former province, of whom 49.4% are male and 50.6% are female. Minors make up 15.5% of the population, and pensioners make up 23.7%. This compares with the Italian average of 14.9% minors and 24.7% pensioners.[2]
