Main places on the route: Neapolis Archaeological Park, Greek Theatre, Ear of Dionysius, Archimedes Square, Cathedral, Fountain of Arethusa.
Syracuse city tour.
Syracuse is a place that seems to have materialised from Greek myths and legends. A series of dizzying rises and devastating falls haunted this city in the pre-Christian era. No less disturbing was its fate in our era. In Syracuse remained many buildings made by the ancient Greeks. The remains of majestic objects erected by the Hellenes are considered World Heritage Sites. The grey stones cutting through the bright greenery are protected by UNESCO.
Take a trip 25 centuries into the past in the archaeological district of Syracuse – Neapolis. Its largest exhibit is the ruins of the Greek Theatre, built in the 5th century B.C. It is a huge amphitheatre with a capacity of 15,000 people. During the Spanish rule in Sicily, some of the stones of the ancient theatre were used for the construction of Fort Ortigia.
Another monument of ancient Syracuse is the Roman Amphitheatre. It was built for public entertainment in the first century BC. The public was invited to enjoy gladiatorial fights. In terms of its scale, the amphitheatre in Syracuse ranks third after the Colosseum in Rome and the arena in Verona.
Not far from the Greek Theatre you can admire the grotto with the poetic name of Dionysius’ Ear. Nature herself has done wonders of architecture by carving the entrance to this cave in the shape of an ear shell. It is worth seeing the Altar built in the III century BC. It served the tyrant of Syracuse in order to sacrifice to the gods.
The Temple of Apollo, which is located on the island of Ortigia, looks contrasting against the background of modern buildings. Until the 19th century, the remains of the temple were hidden from the eyes of travellers.
In order to get a clear picture of the culture of the peoples that alternately dominated Sicily, the Paolo Orsi Regional Museum of Archaeology was opened in Syracuse. The archaeologist, who led the rediscovery of most of the ancient monuments, has collected many exhibits from the ancient Greek, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine, Arabian, Norman, Spanish and other periods. The museum has been in operation since 1878 and is very popular.
The catacombs of St John, which appeared near Syracuse in Christian times (4th century AD), are also worthy of attention. Paolo Orsi devoted the last decade of the 19th century to a meticulous study of the site. The underground halls were used in the early Christian era for the burial of influential persons of the city. They were well preserved and served the population again during the Second World War. The Catacombs of St John sheltered anxious Italians from bombing.
In the historic part of the city you can stroll along the picturesque street corso Matteotti. Low buildings along the street greet travellers with light-coloured facades.
More sights along the route
A true jewel of the old city is the small square of Archimedes, dedicated to the famous resident of the city. In the centre of the square is a fountain decorated with a sculptural group headed by Artemis the Huntress.
Another curious attraction of Syracuse is the city’s cathedral. A temple dedicated to Athena was built on the site of the Duomo in the 5th century B.C.E.
The intricate top of the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia is an eye-catcher for visitors to Syracuse. This building loses out to the Duomo in terms of size, but it is astonishing in its architecture. There is a whole legend about St Lucia’s speciality.
The Spring of Arethusa – according to ancient Greek legends, Arethusa was a beautiful river nymph who tried to escape from the god Altheus. The mighty Artemis helped the girl by turning her into a stream. Seeing this, Alpheus turned into the sea.
The city’s most modern landmark is the Church of the Weeping Madonna. In 1953, an amazing event happened in the home of ordinary Syracuse residents – the image of the holy Madonna cried. It was decided to build a church in her honour.
The Vermexio Palace – also known as the Senate Palace was built in 1633 for the needs of the city government. The architect of this mansion was Giovanni Vermexio.
Montalto Palace – this building was built at the end of the fourteenth century at the expense of the noble Sicilian Machota Mergulese. Under the Aragonese kingdom, the palace passed into the hands of Filippo Montalto, which is where the modern name came from.
Moniacce Castle is the most monumental and visible building in Siracusa. It is located in the southernmost part of the island of Ortigia and the date of its foundation is considered to be 1240. The castle owes its name to the Byzantine commander Maniac, who managed to wrest Sicily from the clutches of Arab invaders in the 11th century. The palace appeared during the Sicilian kingdom thanks to the patronage of Emperor Frederick II. According to some sources, the construction of the palace was supervised by the architect Riccardo da Lentini. In the middle of the 16th century, the social life of the palace ended and it was reorientated for military purposes. The fortifications were joined to the palace building, forming a powerful defence complex on the southern tip of the island of Ortigia. In the eighteenth century, ammunition was stored in the premises of the Moniace Castle, which led to an accident. The detonated charges caused considerable damage to the palace.
The damaged castle was left alone for a short period of time until Emperor Napoleon turned his attention to it. For a long time the castle fulfilled its military function and the palace building served as barracks for artillery regiments. In the XX century, the Moniace castle was restored to its secular gloss. The formidable and impregnable fortress was restored and began to receive visitors as an attraction of Syracuse.
