Siracusa's Renaissance: Tourism, Advertising, and the Search for Authentic Cultural Identity

Siracusa, ranked penultimate in Italian quality of life despite its ancient glory as Archimedes' and Plato's city, is experiencing a renaissance evidenced by a surge in advertising and film productions. In February 2014, a Ferrari California commercial was shot in Ortigia, followed by a San Pellegrino spot in July 2015. Dolce & Gabbana chose Noto's Villa Eleonora Nicolaci for their Dolce perfume ad, directed by Tornatore with music by Morricone. The region also hosts sets for series like 'Romanzo Siciliano'. Tourism data from eDreams (June 2016) shows three Sicilian destinations (Palermo, Catania, Trapani) in the top ten, with a 20% increase in visitors compared to 2015, partly due to Mediterranean crises. Siracusa offers rich cultural assets: Parco archeologico della Neapolis, Museo archeologico Paolo Orsi, Tempio di Apollo, Ortigia, plus concerts and Greek theatre. However, a 2014 pilot project for an ecomuseum, 'Alla scoperta dell'ecomuseo siracusano', funded by the regional tourism department, was never implemented. The article questions whether Siracusa can craft a new narrative beyond clichés to meet the demands of 'tourism 3.0', which favors immersive, community-based experiences over standardized hotels.