Already in ancient times, Syracuse on the east coast of Sicily was the largest and most powerful city of the island. Archimedes, the famous Greek mathematician of the 3rd century BC, comes from here. Syracuse's architectural testimonies of the last 3000 years brought the city in 2005 the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is also reflected in the Cathedral of Santa Maria delle Colonne, which dates back to a temple of Athena from the 5th century BC, whose columns were integrated into the Baroque façade of the 18th century.