Trip to Siracuse
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Syracuse
Close your eyes and imagine that you are among the ruins of an ancient, thousand-year-oldcapital. Now, open them: in Syracuse, reality overcomes the imagination. The Corinthians founded the city in 733 B.C. And Thucydides decided to use this date as a reference for dating the foundations of other Sicilian cities (as we use Christ’s birth). Even in Hellenistic and Byzantine times, Syracuse was considered the Greek capital of the western Mediterranean. Its decline began when the Arabs conquered the whole island and moved the capital to Palermo.
There are two archaeological parks in the province of Syracuse. Are you ready to discover them?
We begin with the Archaeological Park of Syracuse, Eloro and Villa del Tellaro.
The first stop is the Archaeological Park of Syracuse. The park includes the northern area of the Neapolis district, one of the five districts that were part of Syracuse in Greek and Roman times. Here you will find the city’s most famous monuments. First of all, we can visit the Greek theatre.
Since 1914, thanks to INDA, ancient tragedies and comedies have been performed again in this stunning location. Then, let’s take a look at the Roman amphitheatre and the Orecchio di Dionisio. Caravaggio visited this cave in the 17th century and named it after its peculiar shape of a donkey’s ear. Legend tells that the tyrant Dionysius locked up his enemies inside the cave and eavesdropped on their speeches from above. The cavity amplified their voices. In the eastern part of the park, near the Santa Venera quarry, there are a series of burial chambers.
Among them is the so-called ‘Tomb of Archimedes‘. Let us take our time to enjoy this journey into antiquity.
The history of the Roman amphitheater is quite discussed, but it was probably built around the third century AD. Along the road that leads to the Amphitheatre are arranged stone sarcophagi, found in necropolidi Syracuse and Megara Iblea.
The Amphitheatre, carved into the rock except in the south side, has the top of all missing. The great blocks of which it was composed were removed, then by the Spanish in the sixteenth century for the construction of the ramparts of the island of Ortigia.
The size of the amphitheater, elliptical, are remarkable: m.140x90. Under the Sand (m.70x40), enclosed by a high podium, there is a high m.1.60 corridor, called "crypt", which was used for the output of gladiators and wild animals. Above the podium were the first steps for the spectators to respect, with over engraved with the names of the personalities who occupied those places, as proof of this, it is still one of marble with the name. Followed, then in height, the ima cavea, the only auditorium remained, while the average and the summa cavea caveasi can only imagine the foundations remain.
At the center of the arena is dug underground (15.50x8.70 m) deep 2.50 m., Were places where the machinery for the shows, as can be seen by other amphitheatres of magnitude as that of Syracuse. The entrance was to the south, where the converging road that divided the Acradina from Neapolis.
Ortigia and the other side of Siracusa
World heritage site and a heritage for its tourists
Since far-off times Siracusa represented a very important stop for the travellers and till nowadays the city confirms its authenticity to the eyes of who passes by. Its archaeological, cultural and artistic heritage is a perfect synthesis of the whole history of Sicily: all the urban centre, world heritage site since 2005, offers to the passengers the sensation of travelling in far-off times without any stops. You will be entranced by the importance of the Eurialo fortifications or by the "Apollo Temple", charmed by the columns of Tempio di Atena which are set as precious stones inside the Cathedral, intrigued by the myth of the beautiful Aretusa or the genius of Archimede, entranced by the magic atmosphere of the Greek Theatre, one of the biggest and best-preserved one in the world where nowadays it is possible to relive the charm of the greek plays. And yet, you will be entranced too by the "Latomie", rock quarrys of the ancient Siracusa and the legendary Orecchio di Dionisio. All of this just to start giving you an idea of the city. Because visiting Siracusa is a nonstop alternation of emotions.
The Ortigia island is the beating heart of the whole city: it's big just one square kilometre but it's a delightful treasure chest and there are natural beauties ready to amaze you. Temples, castles, ancient habitationsand baroque churches estabilish the charm of the small island dedicated to Artemide. Getting lost in its streets is very delightful and here you can feel all of these more than ever before.
Ortigia will stun you because it's on a human scale, because its calmness and by the small street market which is the city soul. Between the stalls of fruits, vegetables, cheese, typical products and fishes there is a perfect armony of the colours, the taste and the perfumes of this dreamy town that you can live at night in the typical eating houses or elegant restaurants.
From the Aretusa terrace, mainly at the sunsets, you feel like dominate the entire city: the relics of the greek Eurialo fortress, the Etna volcano, stopping and looking at the elegant Castello Maniace fortress, southern terminal point of Ortigia which seems to caress the blue waves of the sea.
The undergrounds of Ortigia Ortigia streches telling you the secrets of its citizen and treasure other ones: the “Bagno Ebraico” in the heart of the medieval Giudecca, and the Ipogeo di Piazza Duomo, theatre of the news of the second world war.
some unique exemplars of Papiro till the source. There is still a good memory of Papiro in Siracusa,
Siracusa is all of what you read and more: a nonstop discovery, around warm and welcoming citizen.