SYRACUSE, Sicily. Local tradition has it that the island of Ortygia, colonized by Corinthian settlers in the eighth century B.C., got its, name from the Greek word for quail because, seen from above, the outline brings the chubby fowl to mind. Today, a bird's-eye view reveals that the oldest district of the city of Syracuse is in fact a densely interwoven tapestry of overlapping epochs and civilizations, its topography and architecture bearing the imprint of a succession of rulers Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Aragonese and Fascist and natural calamities, like the great earthquake of 1693, which devastated much of the surrounding region. After a lengthy period of decline and abandonment, the past decade has witnessed a turnaround for the district, and property prices have shot up as Syracusans have returned to reclaim the neighborhood. Scaffolding now narrows alleys even further, and derelict landmarks are being brought back to life. "We got EU funding from a program promoting historic centers, so things changed," said Enzo Italia, owner of the Solaria wine bar, which specializes in local varieties. "And foreigners began coming, too." The best time to go sightseeing, and beat the heat, is the morning, as the streets are still relatively empty and the cries of swallows at times even drown out the annoying buzzing of motorini. Like many Sicilian cities, Syracuse lives at night, when the locals spill onto the streets for the ritual evening stroll. At the tip of the island, the Castello Maniace, named for an 11th-century Byzantine general who conquered the city, was opened to the public in October. The fortification dates to the 13th century, when Frederick II ruled Sicily, and a small portrait thought to represent the emperor can be found in a room off the majestic stone-vaulted main hall. Also recently opened to the public is a mikvah, or ritual Jewish bath, discovered 15 years ago during excavation works for a residence hotel. The underground mikvah, which a local guide described as the biggest in Europe, attests to the Jewish presence in the city, as do the surrounding streets blandly named as first, second, third and fourth street of the giudecca, the Jewish neighborhood. The bath, actually three separate pools some 15 meters, or about 50 feet, underground fed by a freshwater spring, is hard to date, but it is probable that it was filled up at least partially when the Jews were expelled from Syracuse in 1492. The derelict 18th-century church above, San Filippo Apostolo, was built on the site of the synagogue. The city's most celebrated spring is named after the water nymph Arethusa, who escaped the unwanted attentions of the Greek river Alpheios by metamorphosing into a fresh water spring that miraculously appeared in Ortygia (Alpheios didn't give up that easily and followed Arethusa under the Mediterranean). The myth was known in classical times and was meant to reinforce the connection between Greece and Syracuse, which was one of the most important cities of the Mediterranean when the Greeks were the world's superpower. The fountain is now surrounded by a 19th-century basin, where papyrus, ducks and large carp vie for photo ops. For centuries, the head of the water nymph surrounded by three dolphins adorned the local coinage. Examples of such coins are visible on appointment in the numismatic museum in the main square. The collection is part of the rich Paolo Orsi Regional Archaeological Museum, which is near the Archaeological Park of Neopolis in one of the mainland neighborhoods of Syracuse. The most remarkable classical ruin is the Greek theater, which is still used for performances organized by the National Institute of Antique Drama. This season includes performances of Sophocles's "Antigone," directed by the Greek actress Irene Papas. The renewed interest in Ortygia by Syracusans has been matched by an influx of tourism, and new hotels, restaurants and pubs have sprung up in the past few years. "Tourism has moved a lot of people," said Rosa Rodriguez, a custodian at the Castello Maniace. She said that many Italians from the north were moving to Syracuse permanently. "It's still a place where you can live well." As part of the city's improvement project, on Thursday an underground passage linking Ortygia's main square to the tree-lined seafront reopened to the public. The tunnel was last used as an air-raid shelter during World War II. But recouping the city is far from over. Many of its Baroque churches, built after the 1673 earthquake, remain closed because of a shortage of priests and custodians. Palazzo Bellomo, which houses a collection of medieval and modern art, including Caravaggio's "Burial of St. Lucy," was closed last November for a complete makeover. Asked when the museum was likely to reopen, a custodian shrugged: "It's going to take some time."