Syracuse

Ortigia Island

The true heart of Syracuse is Ortigia Island, an area stretching for just over a kilometre that represents the oldest part of the city. Ortigia is not, in fact, a true island as it is connected to the mainland by the Umbertino Bridge and the Santa Lucia Bridge.

This area is considered an open-air museum for its truly unique archaeological and architectural heritage, ranging from temples from the Greek era to buildings constructed during the Fascist period, including traces left by the Aragonese and Arabs.

Divided into small historic quarters, Ortigia is the oldest zone of Syracuse that houses sites such as the Cathedral, the Castello Maniace from the Swabian-Norman period, the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia, the Temple of Apollo dating back to the 6th century BC and the Temple of Athena. The heart of Ortigia Island is certainly Piazza Archimede, a meeting place where you can admire the magnificent Fountain of Artemis, built in 1907 by Giulio Moschetti.

Neapolis Archaeological Park

With a 30-minute walk from Ortigia, you can reach Syracuse’s most famous tourist attraction, the Neapolis Archaeological Park.

Within a single area are concentrated ancient ruins of exceptional beauty and historical value, among which stands out the marvellous Greek Theatre dating from the 5th century BC, where the last tragedies of Aeschylus were performed in the presence of the author. A symbolic place for history and theatre lovers, it will captivate even those without a particular interest in these disciplines.

A mysterious place with intriguing charm is the Latomia del Paradiso, a stone quarry with an S-shaped cave three metres deep that Caravaggio named the Ear of Dionysius, famous for its particular acoustic effect.

Other attractions in the park include the Roman amphitheatre and the Ara of Hiero II.

Syracuse Cathedral

The Syracuse Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Most Holy Mary, is a religious building that tells the story of the city and the various rulers who succeeded one another. During the 5th century BC, an impressive Doric temple dedicated to Athena was built here. The temple remained as such until Christianity arrived on the island, when the building was transformed into a church and became the first Christian church in the Western world.

Later, with the arrival of the Arabs, the building was transformed into a mosque and underwent various architectural modifications. Subsequently, however, the Normans restored the Cathedral to its function as a Catholic church and carried out restructuring work on the building. In 1693, a devastating earthquake struck Sicily and several cities located along the eastern coast of the island suffered considerable damage, including Syracuse. The Cathedral, however, managed to withstand it and although much of its façade was destroyed, the internal structure and columns of the Greek temple remained intact. The reconstruction of the façade took place during the period of Spanish rule and was rebuilt in a baroque style.

Considered the most important church in the city, the cathedral presents itself externally in baroque and rococo style, whilst inside you can admire both parts belonging to the Greek temple and parts built by the Normans. The numerous chapels present also house statues, relics, the remains of saints and frescoes of great value.

Castello Maniace

Castello Maniace was built by Frederick II between 1232 and 1240 and is therefore one of the oldest and most important monuments of the Swabian period. Located at the end of the Alfeo waterfront, the castle takes its name from George Maniace, a Byzantine commander whose family was connected to the royal house of Altavilla, from which Frederick II descended.

The complex was constructed for defensive purposes and was initially surrounded by a wide moat which was later covered in the 16th century. The fortress is characterised by a quadrangular structure with four cylindrical towers built at the corners. In addition to its defensive role, over the years Castello Maniace has hosted royal families but has also served as a prison and barracks for the Italian Army.

Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia

Located in Piazza Duomo, the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia forms with the adjacent monastery a complex dating from the mid-15th century. The church is dedicated to Saint Lucy, the city’s patroness, who in the 17th century is said to have saved Syracuse from a terrible famine.

The façade features two superimposed orders. The lower part is characterised by a baroque portal inserted between twisted columns that support a pediment decorated with images of the saint’s martyrdom, whilst in the upper order there are lesenes in rococo style.

The interior has a single nave that houses four baroque altars dating from the 18th century, and the vault features frescoes depicting the Triumph of Saint Lucy. In the apse are the main altar and a large canvas painted in 1608 by Caravaggio.

Syracuse Archaeological Museum

The Regional Archaeological Museum of Syracuse is named after archaeologist Paolo Orsi, who was director of the site for over thirty years. The museum is considered one of Europe’s most important archaeological centres for the quality and quantity of the artefacts it contains. The building is set within the green expanse of a vast park that houses the tomb of German poet August von Platen.

The building is shaped like a daisy and consists of three sections that house artefacts belonging to three different periods. The first section displays rocks, fauna and fossils from the Quaternary Era, the second displays artefacts from Greek colonies in Sicily and the third is dedicated to Syracuse’s sub-colonies (Eloro, Akrai, Casmene and Camarina) and excavations carried out in the territories of Gela and Agrigento.

Crypts and catacombs of San Giovanni

Just outside the ancient walls of the city, near the Neapolis Archaeological Park, lies the Basilica of San Giovanni, a beautiful open-air church dating from the 6th century. The church has suffered damage from various earthquakes over time and has been rebuilt several times.

In the underground chambers of the building, where the Greek aqueduct once stood, the Romans built the Catacombs of San Giovanni, a place suitable for housing family tombs. The structure consists of a main gallery (Decumanus Maximus) from which ten secondary tunnels (Cardines) branch off, leading to various chapels. These chapels, circular in shape, were created from what were once ancient water storage cisterns and were used by the Romans for the burial of illustrious figures.

The Byzantine Crypt, on the other hand, is the burial place of San Marciano, Syracuse’s first bishop. Here you can still see the remains of the flooring, Ionic columns, four marble capitals depicting the Evangelists and splendid frescoes dating from the Norman period.

Castello Eurialo

Castello Eurialo was built around 400 BC by the tyrant Dionysius as part of a defensive system called the “Dionysian Walls”, but underwent numerous modifications over time. The fortress is located in the Epipoli district, outside the historic centre of Syracuse, and currently only part of its remains can be admired.

The castle entrance is protected by four moats whilst the main keep of trapezoidal shape is defended by five towers. Inside the building, numerous galleries were constructed to allow troops to move easily and quickly in case of attack, and some of these tunnels are still visitable.

Due to its position, the castle dominates the entire city and coast from above and is therefore considered one of the best places to watch the sunset.

Papyrus Museum

An original museum you can visit during your holiday in Syracuse is the one dedicated to papyrus, a plant that grows abundantly in the surroundings of the Ciane river (now a nature reserve) and which until the 17th century was used locally for paper production.