Legends of Italy: Arethusa - The Nymph Who Became a Spring

Tucked away on the island of Ortigia in Sicily, among sunlit stones and whispering papyrus, flows a spring said to carry the soul of a fleeing nymph. Her name was Arethusa — a water spirit devoted to the Goddess Artemis, and her story is one of beauty, pursuit, and ultimate transformation.

According to ancient Greek mythology, Arethusa loved water so much that one day she dove into a river to swim — unaware that she was being watched by Alpheus, the god of rivers. Enchanted by her beauty, Alpheus pursued her relentlessly. But Arethusa, having taken a sacred vow of chastity to Artemis, rejected his advances and ran — all the way to the shores of Sicily.

Cornered on the island of Ortigia with nowhere left to run, she called out to Artemis to save her. The goddess answered, transforming Arethusa into a fresh spring of pure water. It’s said that even now, if you visit at just the right moment, when the air is still and the sun is warm, you can hear the quiet song of the nymph beneath the papyrus fronds.

Legends like this live on because they are rooted in something timeless — beauty, escape, protection, and the sacred power of place.

So if you find yourself in Ortigia, pause at the edge of the Arethusa spring. Lean in, listen close. You might just hear her story rise with the mist.