The Archimedes monument is a 2.6-metre bronze figure of the ancient mathematician standing at the entrance to Ortigia, the island that forms the old town of Syracuse. He holds up a mirror towards the sea, a nod to the story that he set Roman ships on fire with the sun. The statue was unveiled on 13 March 2016, timed for Pi Day the next morning.
The Archimedes monument at a glance
- Where: Riva della Darsena, on the Ortigia side of the Ponte Umbertino, between the two bridges that link the island to the mainland.
- Created: unveiled on 13 March 2016, the eve of Pi Day (14 March).
- By: the Sicilian sculptor Pietro Marchese, with the architect Virginia Rossello, winners of a design competition.
- What it is today: Syracuse's public monument to its most famous son, and the first thing many visitors see as they cross onto Ortigia.
- Time needed: 10–15 minutes; take a few more to walk around the base and find the symbols.
The genius of Syracuse
Archimedes was born in Syracuse around 287 BC, when it was one of the richest Greek cities in the Mediterranean, and he spent most of his life here under King Hiero II. He worked out the area of a circle and the volume of a sphere, gave a remarkably close estimate of pi, and explained why things float. Ancient writers tell how he built machines to defend the city when the Romans besieged it, including cranes, the 'claw of Archimedes', that could lift and capsize ships. Syracuse fell in 212 BC, and Archimedes was killed by a Roman soldier, against the orders of the Roman general Marcellus.
The city waited a very long time for a proper monument. A design competition, funded by the city and the former province, took place roughly ten years before the statue finally went up. The winning project by Pietro Marchese and Virginia Rossello was inaugurated on 13 March 2016, chosen on purpose for the eve of the international day of pi.
What to look for
- The mirror: Archimedes raises a mirror and turns it towards the harbour, the scene of the legendary burning of the Roman fleet.
- The size: the bronze figure alone is 2.6 metres tall; with its stone base, the monument reaches 3.2 metres.
- The base is a puzzle: the 8-by-8-metre platform reproduces the Stomachion, a dissection puzzle of 14 pieces that form a square, which Archimedes studied. Each piece is set at a different height.
- The inlaid symbols: every one of the 14 pieces carries a symbol of one of Archimedes' discoveries. Walk around and see how many you can match to his work.
- The stone: the base is made of pale stone from Comiso, in the province of Ragusa.
Eureka, mirrors and a lost tomb
Many of the best-known Archimedes stories were written down long after his death, so treat them as legends. The Roman architect Vitruvius tells how he solved the riddle of King Hiero's gold crown in his bath and ran through the streets shouting 'Eureka!'. The burning mirrors only appear in writers centuries later, and whether they could ever have worked is still debated. Better documented is his tomb: Cicero, serving in Sicily in 75 BC, wrote that he found it overgrown near one of the city gates, recognising it by the sphere and cylinder carved on it. Its location has since been lost.
Tips for your visit
- Come late in the afternoon, when the light falls on the bronze and the boats in the Darsena behind it; the mirror then catches the sun.
- For a photo of the whole monument, step back along the waterfront towards the Ponte Santa Lucia rather than standing at the foot of the statue.
- Start your walk here: the statue makes an easy meeting point before you head into Ortigia.
Nearby
- Temple of Apollo: the ruins of one of the oldest Doric temples in Sicily, a few minutes' walk into Ortigia.
- Ortigia market: the street market near the Temple of Apollo, with fish, citrus fruit, cheese and Sicilian street food.
- Piazza Archimede: the square named after him in the middle of Ortigia, with the Fountain of Diana at its centre.
- Foro Siracusano: the large square across the bridge on the mainland, with the Pantheon war memorial and the church of San Tommaso.
See Syracuse with World City Trail
Our Syracuse scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 36 minutes of walking. The Archimedes monument is one of the stops, along with the Foro Siracusano and San Tommaso al Pantheon.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Syracuse.
Play the Syracuse scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Syracuse →
Play the outdoor escape game in Syracuse →
Facts checked in October 2026.