Damarete was Queen of Syracuse as the wife of the famous tyrant Gelone of this city, which he led Syracuse to victory over the Carthaginians in the battle of Imera in 480 BC. This woman is remembered for his great humanity: after the victory over the Carthaginians, Damarete in the peace treaty forbade the sacrifice of children to the "gods" used by the Carthaginians and stable that the prisoners were employed in activities work in the quarries (the latomie) with permission to freely live in the city. The Carthaginians, heartened by the pacts obtained, give in gratitude to the queen Damarete a crown worth 300 talents. Damarete not held the crown for herself but he did convert the value into a mass of silver coin and made the first historic commemorative medal of the world "Damaretion" letting the world know about the value and civilization' of Syracuse. It was' much welcome this idea of the Queen Damarete that when Syracuse won in 416 BC the battle against the Athenians, they wanted to commemorate the victory with the minting of a commemorative coin. Since then, he was used to commemorate a victory with the minting of a coin. Came out two beautiful silver coins (Arethusa Arethusa cut by Cimon and engraved by Eveneto). These coins are now part of the first coin collection in the world and can be visited in the archaeological museum in Syracuse.

This name to our Residence was assigned to recall the more true image of Syracuse, that is the example of peaceful coexistence among peoples of different culture, tradition and religion.

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