The Two Brothers Rocks (Italian: Scoglio Due Fratelli; Sicilian I Ru' Frati) are a rock formation in the Ionian sea to the north-east of Syracuse in Sicily. Geography The two rocks are located between the districts of Grottasanta, Mazzarona and Tunis Avenue, in a bay called "Coast of Piliceddi". The coasts in the area are jagged, except a small beach formed by the disintegration of the rocks. The depth of the sea does not exceed 20 meters. The rocks The "Big Rock" is 70 meters from the coast and is over 12 meters high. It is called the elephant or mastodon because of its shape. It is divided in half by a narrow fissure which starts at sea level and extends to the top of the rock, forming two caves. The back is exposed to the open sea and is composed of sharp rocks and holes caused by wave erosion. The front is perpendicular to the sea and is exposed to the bay. It is one of the best known sets of rocks near Syracuse, because of the legend of the two brothers and also because of the actual death of a boy around 12 years old. He died trying to get in the lower part of the rock (the footbridge). The "Little Rock" is approximately 50 meters from the coast and is 5 meters high. It has the form of a small boat. It is roughly 12 meters from the big rock, thus there is space for boats to pass between them. The highest part of the rock, on the left, is flat and perpendicular to the sea. On the right, it slides down to sea level and has many holes and sharp points because of its exposure to the open sea. Legend of the two brothers Three versions: One day two brothers came to go spearfishing. One of them dove under the water and became stuck in a crack. The other dove in to save him, but both drown. One sunny day, two brothers decided jump from the bigger rock. The two brothers climbed the rock but before they jumped, the sea became turbulent and agitated. They jumped and were drowned in the waves. The third version compares the two rocks to two brothers; an older brother and younger brother. Flora and fauna Both the flora and fauna are typical of the Mediterranean. There are several species of