Since March 2003 Elio Vittorini (1908-1966) has been for Syracuse something more than the great writer who was born here. With the creation of the Literary Park named after this profound connoisseur of contemporary American literature, the writer has become an "ambassador", in the broadest sense of the word, for the cultural world of this province. And not only with reference to Vittorini's actual writings but also to everything that they tell us of Syracuse and this part of Sicily - the places of natural beauty and historical interest, the traditions, the people.

The Syracusan scenes that form the background to Vittorini's life and works are stages in a sentimental journey that create an ideal Conversation in Sicily, as one of his works is entitled - Ortygia, with the treasures of the ancient city centre, the promenade along the Ponte Umbertino to the spectacular and elliptic Piazza Duomo, like a great eye with the splendid cathedral at the centre.

The blend of architectural styles in the splendid palaces reflects the millenary history of Syracuse recounted by Vittorini.

In the Cinema Museum in Palazzo Corpaci, it is possible to view films based on some of Vittorini's novels, such as Uomini e no, directed by Valentino Orsini in 1980, starring Flavio Bucci and Monica Guerritore.

All this is to be found in the Elio Vittorini Literary Park: a journey traced through the life and works of the author, who becomes a precious guide for visitors as they discover Syracuse and its province, forming an itinerary in which the various places, described as the great writer saw and experienced them, become the protagonists of a story that leaves our senses spellbound.

The Sceneries of the Park