Tourist itineraries Syracuse 

 

Ortigia

1. From Corso Umberto I to Largo XXV Luglio

Post Office building

Photos PanoramasBuilt in 1934. Included in the list of listed architectural heritage (DDS 6147 of 07/06/2002)

 

 

 

Temple of Apollo

apollo1Largo XXV Luglio. Built in the 58,10th century BC in the Doric-Peripteral style (temple surrounded by a portico with columns). Two columns of the temple remain standing on the south side, with a section of the epistyle, and the sections of the other columns on this same side and on the east front. A section of the southern cell wall also remains. The western section of the base is being restored. The building, (24,50 × 6 m), is built in blocks of sandstone. in. The peristasis included 17 columns on the short sides and XNUMX on the long sides.

 

 

St Paul's Church

Church-of-San-PaoloNear the Temple of Apollo, in via dell'Apollonion, stands the church of S. Paolo built on the ancient paleochristian basilica which together with S. Pietro, S. Giovannello and the Holy Spirit is part of the oldest religious buildings in Ortigia. The current structure dates back to the seventeenth

 

 

 

2. From Largo XXV Luglio to Porta Marina

 

Urban gate

door-cityIn via XX Settembre, in an excavation in the roadway, the remains of the ancient city gate are still visible, built by Dionysius the Great and inserted in the walls which, starting from Ortigia, completely encircled the whole city up to the Eurialo castle, to a length of about 30 Km.

 

 

 

Chamber of Commerce

chamber of commerce_syracuseMazzini street. Imposing building built in the early 900s in Art Nouveau style. Currently seat of the Chamber of Commerce

  

 

 

Church of San Giorgio (or Santa Maria dei Miracoli)

Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli SyracuseVia S. Maria dei Miracoli (1501th - XNUMXth century) in the same place where the ancient church of San Giorgio once stood. In the façade there is a marble portal perhaps from the Gagini school (XNUMX) which bears the date of construction, the coats of arms of Bishop Dalmazio, of the city of Syracuse and an image of St. Lucia engraved on the finely worked architrave.

 

 

 

Porta Marina

portamarineThe Porta Marina (XNUMXth century BC) allowed the entrance to the medieval city, on the front, a shrine from the Catalan period worked and finely perforated.

 

 

 

 

3. From Via Cavour to Piazza Archimede

Abela Danieli Palace

abela palaceVia Cavour 30. Built in the XNUMXth century and renovated in the XNUMXth century.

The façade is characterized by two portals, one smaller with a pointed arch, and the other with a round arch. The façade also has narrow pointed slits and Gothic mullioned windows.

 

 

Palazzo Greco

greek palaceCorso Matteotti 29. The first construction dates back to the second half of the fourteenth century. The mullioned window of the internal portico, the structure of the turret and the postern of the atrium are preserved from the ancient building

 

 

 

Church of St. Christopher

church of san cristoforoVia S. Cristoforo Of fourteenth-century origin and rebuilt in 1742

 

 

 

Banco di Sicilia Palace

syracuse-palace-of-the-bank-of-sicily-modenaArchimedes Square. From 1928 on a project by Salvatore Caronia

 

 

 

Archimedes Museum

Arkimedeion2_0The Arkimedeion, designed by a team of experts in physics and communications science from the CNR and the University, in collaboration with scholars of the work of the great Greek scientist, who lived in Syracuse between 287 and 212 BC The new interactive museum was created by Agorasophia srl, established by the CNR with the Novamusa company of the Thesauron group.

 

Mergulese Montalto Palace

mergula montaltoVia Montalto- Built in 1397, a Gothic facade remains of the ancient building.

 

 

 

Diana Fountain (Artemide)

sourcedianax400Archimedes Square. By the sculptor Giulio Moschetti of 1906 who tells the legend of Arethusa. The nymph is depicted in the act of escaping from Alfeo who, with outstretched arms, tries to grab her. Diana, in the center of the group, acts as a shield to the nymph

 

 

 

Palazzo Platamone (or Palazzo dell'Orologio)

Syracuse clock palaceArchimedes Square. External staircase with traces of Catalan art (XNUMXth century). Headquarters of the Bank of Italy

 

 

 

 

Lanza Bucceri Palace

lanza bucceri syracuseArchimedes Square. XNUMXth century with remains of previous buildings including a Gothic-Catalan mullioned window.

 

 

 

Gargallo Palace

Palazzo Gargallo SyracuseArchimedes Square. The original construction dates back to the 1895th century. The current building is a consequence of the reconstructions of the years 1899 - XNUMX. From the same period the frescoes on the vaults, by Ernesto Bellandi

 

 

 

Interlanti Pizzuti Palace

palazzo interlandi pizzuti syracuseBaroque palace built in the eighteenth century and later enriched with liberty style elements. The building has two facades, one in Piazza Archimede the other in Via Roma. The two facades are distinguished by a series of arches with a liberty keystone with geometric decorations, in the middle of which there are the entrance portals.

 

 

 

4. From Piazza Archimede to Piazza Duomo

Church of the Jesuit College

college of the JesuitsVia del Collegio corner with via Landolina. The church was built between 1635 and 1687. The facade is characterized by a baroque portal. The Latin cross interior with three naves and transept presents sculptures by G. Marino and I. Marabitti.

 

 

Francica-Nava Palace

Franca Nava PalaceVia Saverio Landolina 8 Built in the XNUMXth century and rebuilt in the Baroque period. The façade has a mixed style, in Gothic (lower part) and Baroque (upper part). The entrance portal has a pointed ogival shape, a typical example of the Gothic-Catalan style of Arab influence.

 

 

 

Salonia Palace - Interlandi (Piazza Duommo)

Piazza Duomo. Formerly Palazzo Salonia, adjacent to the Town Hall

 

 

Beneventano del Bosco Palace

Benevento palace of the woodsPiazza Duomo. Built in the XNUMXth century in the XNUMXth it was acquired by Baron Guglielmo BeneveBenevento palace of the woodsntano who restores it in Baroque style. The entrance has stuccoes by Gregorio Lombardo (1788) from Palermo, while the frescoes and paintings on the doors are by Ermenegido Martorana (1789 and 1791).

 

 

 

 Senate building

senate buildingPiazza Duomo. The Senate palace was built in the 1629th century on a project by G. Vermexio (1634-XNUMX). In the basement of the palace the remains of an Ionic temple from the XNUMXth century BC dedicated to Artemis are still visible.

 

 

Artemision (Ionic Temple dedicated to Artemis)

The remains of the Temple are still visible in the basement of the Senate building, seat of the Town Hall. The Temple stood next to the temple of Athena and has characters similar to the archaic Artemision of Ephesus. The construction of the temple dates back to the last decades of the sixth century BC. The Temple was of the type called "periptero", with a large covered pronaos, with several naves and open-air cell. It featured six columns on the short sides and sixteen on the long sides, fifteen meters high.

Cathedral of Syracuse

syracuse cathedralPiazza Duomo. Built on the remains of the Temple of Athena (V century BC. The current Baroque facade is the work of Andrea Palma (1728-1753). The interior, divided into three naves and side chapels, shows different architectural styles, from Byzantine to Baroque. .

 

 

Temple of Athena

Temple of AthenaPiazza Duomo. Incorporated inside the Cathedral. Its structure was that of a hexastyle peripteral with six columns on the short sides and fourteen on the long ones, more than 56 meters long and 22 wide. With the arrival of Christianity, the temple of Athena was transformed into a church and consecrated as a cathedral in the 1095th century. century by bishop Zosimo. Subsequently the place was transformed into flies, only to be converted to Christian worship in XNUMX.

 

 

Retreat House (Female Boarding School)

female boarding school syracuseBordering the Cathedral on the Via Minerva side, it was used as a place for spiritual exercises. Until 1963 it became the seat of the Institute of Mercy for assistance to the poor and orphans. On the side of the gate the words "Convitto Female" are still visible.

 

Archbishop's Palace

archbishop's palacePiazza Duomo - The current structure was built in the 1618th century on the site of the Palazzo dei Vescovi. The prospectus is by Andrea Vermexio (XNUMX).

 

 

 

Arezzo Palace of the Targia

arezzo palace of the targiaPiazza Duomo. Built in the eighteenth century.

 

 

 

Palace of the former Regional Archaeological Museum

former archaeological museumPiazza Duomo Built between 1876 and 1885

 

 

 

Bonanno Toscano Palace

Bonanno Toscano PalacePiazza Duomo. Between the Palaces of the former Regional Archaeological Museum and Borgia del Casale. Built in the nineteenth century in the place where the Convent - Hospital of San Giovanni di Dio stood.

 

 

 

Borgia del Casale Palace (Impellizzeri)

borgia palace of the farmhousePiazza Duomo. XNUMXth century

 

 

 

 

Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia

college at the abbeyIt stands on the perimeter of a previous church which collapsed in the earthquake of 1693. It was rebuilt from 1695 to 1703. The interior with a single nave is decorated in stucco.

 

 

Montevergini Church

Via S. Lucia. Annexed to the Montevergini monastery. Built by Andrea Vermexio in 1625 and restored after the collapse occurred during the bombings of 1943. The Monastery was built in 1555, in 1874 it became the seat of an orphanage.

5. From Via delle Vergini to Largo Aretusa

 

Church of San Rocco

san roccoIn via delle Vergini, annexed to the former Monastery of the Five Wounds of the same name. The Church was linked to the Sisters of Charity. who since 1876, the year of suppression of the adjacent orphanage, dedicated themselves to the hospital, also used as a convent.

 

 

Former Monastery of the Five Wounds

former monastery 5 plaguesThe Monastery was probably founded in 600 and rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693. Until 1876 it was the seat of the Orphanage of the Sisters of Charity. From 1876 to the 50s it was the seat of the Civil Hospital. It has a Gothic façade with a cuspidate arched portal on which sides there are two crenellated windows. On the first floor there are three mullioned windows, the central one, framed by interesting bas-reliefs.

 

 

Migliaccio Palace

Milleccio PalacePiazza San Rocco. Built in the fifteenth century.

 

 

 

 

Arethusa Fountain

aretusa sourceSource linked to the myth of the nymph Arethusa. Originally, the source sprang from the rocks. The current arrangement within a semicircular basin dates back to 1843

 

 

 

 

6. From Largo Aretusa to the Maniace Castle

Palazzo Blanco in Via Castello Maniace

white building in via maniaceVia del Castello Maniace 56. It has a Vermexian portal and a characteristic balcony with richly carved shelves.

 

 

Maniace Castle

maniace castleBuilt at the behest of Emperor Frederick II (1232-1240), an example of Swabian architecture. The building is one of the most important monuments of the Swabian period, it stands on a place where tradition tells of previous fortifications of which no traces remain.

 

 

 Church of the Holy Spirit

holy spirit syracusePromenade of Ortigia. Built in the XNUMXth century on the site of the pre-existing church founded, according to tradition by Bishop Germano (XNUMXth century AD)

 

 

Monastery of S. Croce or Redentorio delle Ree repentant

Promenade of Ortigia near the Church of the Holy Spirit. Built in the sixteenth century. Sorpresso in 1800 was transformed into a military hospital.

Church of San Martino

church of san martinoVia San Martino. One of the first churches in Syracuse founded perhaps in the sixth century and restored in the Norman era. In the lunette of the portal a limestone block is visible on which the monogram of Christ is engraved in Gothic letters. The interior has three naves with a single apse.

 

 

 

7. Via Capodieci

Church of St. Benedict

church of san benedettoVia Capodieci. The Church, built in the seventeenth on a project by A. Vermexio. In 1647 the monastery of S. Chiara was aggregated there, it was damaged inside by the earthquake of 1693 and rebuilt around 1741, it has a nave with five altars.

 

 

Palazzo Bellomo and Palazzo Parisio

beautiful palaceVia AM Capodieci. Palazzo Bellomo and Palazzo Parisio are from the Swabian period (XIII - XIV century) and host the Regional Gallery

 

 

 Regional Gallery of Palazzo Bellomo

galleryThe ground floor retains the structures of the original thirteenth-century Swabian building, and is characterized by a courtyard with a portico and staircase. The Cortile della Palma presents a series of coats of arms from buildings and monuments of Syracuse that no longer exist. The artistic heritage preserved in the museum covers various eras, from the Byzantine era (XNUMXth century), Arab and Arab-Norman times, up to the XNUMXth century.

The heritage related to painting and decorative arts is significant: vestments and sacred furnishings, jewels, polychrome ceramics, terracotta, nativity scene statuettes and miniatures. The best known works preserved in the Gallery are Caravaggio's Burial of Santa Lucia, coming from the church of Santa Lucia and the Annunciation by Antonello da Messina, painted in 1474.

Church of Jesus and Mary

jesus and maryIn via Capodieci, at number 11, only the portal remains of the ancient church of Jesus and Mary.

 

 

 

 

8. From Piazza San Giuseppe to Via Roma

Former Church of S. Domenico

church of san domenicoPiazza San Giuseppe. It was the church of the convent of the same name, built in 1222 and restored in the XNUMXth century.

 

 

 

Church of St. Joseph

church of san giuseppePiazza San Giuseppe. The current structure dates back to 1754. The interior, Rococo, has a circular plan with side altars and apse. Under the floor there is a hypogean environment

 

 

 

Monastery of S. Maria di Aracoeli

santamariaaracoeliPiazza San Giuseppe. Built in the sixteenth century. In June 1869, the Town Hall ceded the monastery of Aracoeli to the Congregates of the Annunziatella, who began the transformation works that significantly modified the ancient building. In October 1870 the girls' schools located in S. Giovanni di Dio were transferred there; after three years the military command will be placed there. When the military command in the former monastery was removed from Syracuse in 1881, elementary schools returned. It was only in June 1885 that the building could be used for the purpose for which it had been placed, that is, as a kindergarten under the direction of the Sisters of Charity. It is currently the seat of the Nautical Institute

Municipal Theatre

Syracuse Municipal TheaterVia del Teatro corner Via Roma, Built between 1872 and 1897 on the area of ​​the former Benedictine monastery and the church of SS. Annunziata.

 

 

Church of S. Maria della Concezione

church of santa maria of the conceptionVia Roma. Annexed to the monastery, also known as S. Maria delle monache, built in the 1656th century and rebuilt in XNUMX.

 

 

Fountain Palace

Via Roma 44. Built in the XNUMXth century, it has an arched portal enriched with valuable bas-relief friezes depicting elegant geometric motifs and a broken tympanum with the Alagona family crest in the center. The upper part of the facade has five balconies supported by trapezoidal beams, with a rectangular opening. The interior of the building contains an elegant courtyard with stairways and a baroque gallery overlooked by the interior apartments

9. Giudecca area

Jewish bath

Jewish bathVia Alagona 52. The Residence Hotel “Alla Giudecca” hides a miqwè (Jewish ritual purification bath) from the Byzantine era in its basement. The Jewish bath is located 18 meters below the pedestrian level and fed by pure spring water.

 

 

 

 

Church of San Giovanni Battista or Giovannello

san giovanni battisya in ortigiaPiazza del Precursore, in the center of the Jewish quarter of Giudecca, the church, which has an ogival portal, would have been built on a previous 1380th century church of which there is no trace. The current construction is traced back to XNUMX.

 

 

 

 

Church of San Filippo Apostolo

With of Giudecca. Recostruita in 1706-1742.

 

10. Via della Maestranza

Impellizzeri Palace (Via Maestranza 17)

impellizzeri palace at n 17Via Maestranza 17. It has a facade in which windows and balconies with sinuous lines follow one another

 

 

 

 

Zappata-Gargallo Palace

gargallo palaceVia Maestranza. Originally from the fifteenth century, rebuilt in the Baroque style in the eighteenth century

 

 

 

Bonanno Palace

bonanno palaceVia Maestranza. XVIII century. Baroque facade

 

 

Spain Palace

palace spainVia Maestranza. Built in 1760 in the Baroque style

 

 

 

 

Former Church of S. Teresa (or SS. Salvatore)

yes, former church of santa teresaVia Maestranza. It was the church of the adjacent monastery of S. Teresa, the well-preserved façade can still be seen.

 

 

 

Bufardeci Palace

bufardeci palaceVia Maestranza. XVIII century. Included in the list of listed architectural heritage (DA 5704 dated 08/05/2000)

 

 

 

Church of San Francesco d'Assisi or of the Immaculate Conception

saint francis assisiVia Maestranza. Built in the XNUMXth century. On the site of a pre-existing church dedicated to S. Andrea, of which the Gothic portal remains, Refurbishments in the following centuries. Inside, ceiling frescoed by Giuseppe Crestadoro.

 

 

 

Palazzo Blanco in Via Maetranza

white palaceVia Maestranza 108 XVIII century. Adjacent to Palazzo Rizza

 

 

 

Danieli Rizza Palace

rizza palaceVia Maestranza 110. XNUMXth century It preserves the remains of the previous XNUMXth century construction

 

 

 

Impellizzeri Palace (Via Maestranza 99)

impellizzerial 111x400The Impellizzeri palace (not to be confused with the Impellizzeri palace in via Maestranza n ° 17) is located in via Maestranza at n ° 99 in Syracuse. The residence dates back to 1894, the façade has an entablature decorated with floral motifs and human faces on the cornice. Currently the building is the seat of the Faculty of Architecture

 

 

 

Palazzo Bozzanca - La Rocca

Bozzanca PalaceVia Maestranza 136 Built between the end of the 800th and the beginning of the 900th century in Art Nouveau style. Included in the list of listed architectural assets (DA DDS 6127 of 28/04/84)

 

 

 

Papyrus Museum

papyrus museumVia Nizza 14. The Papyrus Museum, created and managed by the International Papyrus Institute in 1989, deals with the study, conservation and dissemination of the testimonies of the "papyrus" culture, established in 1989 collects: ancient papyrus documents from the 800th century BC to the eighth century AD; papyri produced in Syracuse since the XNUMXth century; boats from Ethiopia and Lake Chad; papyrus artifacts (ropes, mats, etc.); a herbarium comprising umbrellas of Cyperus papyrus collected along the Nile, in Lake Chad, in Lake Hula (Israel) and in Sicily (Fiumefreddo and Syracuse); tools and materials for writing (mortars and pestles, ancient presses, palettes, brushes, paints, etc.) used by the Egyptian scribes. The Papyrus Museum is not just a museum exhibition but carries out an educational-scientific activity.

11. From Via Vittorio Veneto to Via Vincenzo Mirabella

Vitale Palace

Vitale PalaceVia Vittorio Veneto 14. The portal is attributed to Andrea Vermexio

 

 

 

Russo Palace

Russian palaceVia Vittorio Veneto 22. XVIII century.

 

 

Interlandi Palace (Via Vittorio Veneto)

Interlandi PalaceVia Vittorio Veneto. Built in the fifteenth century. And restored in 900.

 

 

 

Church of San Filippo Neri

saint philip blacksVia Vittorio Veneto. Project of uncertain attribution (G. Vermexio or R. Gagliardi) was carried out from 1740 to 1770.

 

 

Church of San Leonardo (or San Biagio)

Piazzetta dei Cavalieri di Malta, dates back to 1500 as evidenced by the parts brought to light with the restoration of 1985. Restored after the earthquake of 1693.

Palazzo Gargallo al Carmine

gargallo palace in carmineVia Mirabella. XNUMXth century And remodeled in the eighteenth century.

 

 

 

Bongiovanni Palace

Bongiovanni PalaceVia Mirabella 53. Present of the rich carved shelves.

 

 

 

Former Church of the Retreat

ec church of the retreatIt was the church of the Carmelite monastery and its façade can still be admired in piazzetta del Carmine at the corner with via Mirabella.

 

 

 

 

Church of Carmine

carmine churchPiazza del Carmine. Built in the seventeenth century. On the site of a pre-existing church from the 300th century,

 

 

 

 

St. Peter the Apostle

saint peter the apostleVia San Pietro. It dates back to the XNUMXth century and has been transformed several times. The Gothic portal dates from the XNUMXth century. Currently the church is used as an auditorium

 

Church of San Tommaso Apostolo

saint tommaso apostleVia Mirabella Built in 1199. It has a Gothic portal. It is one of the few examples of buildings from the Norman period in Syracuse

 

 

 

 

Syracuse: Mainland

 1. From Riva Porto to Corso Umberto I

 

Greek Arsenal

syracuse_arsenalThe remains of the Greek Arsenal built at the time of the Tyrant Ierone II are still visible near the so-called “Porto Piccolo”, at the Via Arsenale. The structure functioned as a shipyard, in fact it was used to build and maintain the merchant and war boats used in the time of Hieron II including the warships (the so-called "Triremi") used in the battles against the Carthaginian military fleet

 

Church of San Tommaso al Pantheon

St. Thomas at the PantheonIt is the main war memorial of the First World War. Built in 1919 on a project by the architect Gaetano Rapisardi, the structure is characterized by large pillars divided by large windows that support a small terrace including some windows surmounted by stone crosses. The bell tower in reinforced concrete completes the view of the church from the outside. The entrance has a bronze portal with a commemorative plaque on the side in memory of the victims of the First World War. The interior has a single circular nave and preserves the remains of the Syracusans who fell at the front.

 

 

Syracusan Forum

Syracuse forumInside the public garden of Corso Umberto I, east of piazzale Marconi, are the remains of the Syracusan Forum. In the Verrine Cicero describes the site by listing the grandeur of the buildings: the prytaneum, the bouleuterion and the temple dedicated to Zeus by Ierone, today only sections of the ancient pavement and some of the columns of the agora remain.

 

 

Roman gymnasium

Roman gymnasium Via Elorina (SS 115 for Cassibile) near the Navy. The remains of the Roman gymnasium date back to the XNUMXst century AD used for both cultural and sacred purposes.

 

 

 

 

2. Archaeological Park of Neapolis

Neapolis Archaeological Park

NEAPOLISExtended for 240.000 square meters. The Archaeological Park of Neapolis was built between 1952 and 1955, it contains important monuments: the Roman Amphitheater, the Ara of Gerone II, the cave of the Cordari, the church of San Nicolò from the Norman age, the Greek theater, the cave of Ninfeo, the latomia of Paradise (Ear of Dionysius, Sican, Roman and Byzantine necropolis, The Latomie della Intagliatella and Santa Venera and more

 

 

Anfiteatro Romano

amphitheater-Roman 1Dating back to the imperial age (III - IV century AD) the Roman amphitheater is one of the greatest buildings of its kind in existence. Elliptical in shape, the external diameters measure m. 140 x 119; it was partially excavated in the Temenite rock. It has two entrances: the main one, to the north, was connected to a square intended to accommodate the carriages of the spectators, while the secondary one, to the south, is currently in use for visiting the monument.

 

Macaw of Hieron II

aradiieroneIIAltar probably dedicated to Zeus Eleuterio erected in the third century BC by Gerone (Ierone) II. What remains today are almost exclusively the base structures (198 x 22,80 m.), Obtained in the lower part of the rocky slope of Colle Temenite. In fact, the upper block structure was almost completely removed in the XNUMXth century in order to use the already squared blocks for the construction of the Spanish fortifications of the city.

 

Cave of the Cordari

CORDARI CAVEInside the latomia del Paradiso (Ear of Dionysius), there is the Grotta dei Cordari which, for centuries, thanks to its length and the presence of water, hosted the manufacturers of ropes (cordari). The vault is supported by pillars carved into the stone, on the walls are still visible some Byzantine funerary hypogea that give the place its name: "Via dei Sepolcri".

 

 

Church of S. Nicolò ai Coradari and Roman Pool

church of san nicolo dei cordariLocated at the entrance to the Archaeological Park of Neapolis, the church was built in the Norman period (1577th century) probably on pre-existing underground churches of the Paleochristian and Byzantine periods. The name of San Nicolo dei Cordari or San Nicolo della Pietra derives from the fact that the church was granted in 1093 to the guild of rope-makers, who had one of their workplaces in the nearby cave of the rope-makers. In this church in XNUMX the funeral of Giordano, son of Ruggero d'Altavilla was celebrated. The church has a single nave with a semicircular apse, slit windows and a small lateral entrance portal.

The church is partly built on a Roman period pool dug into the rock, built in turn on a Greek age latomia, The pool is 5 meters deep, on it there are 14 pillars in three naves covered by barrel vaults that support the church above.

Originally, the pool had the essential function of a water reservoir, with plastered walls, and was connected with a canal to the nearby Roman amphitheater through an underground canal. Subsequently, after having probably had the function of an underground church, the Roman pool was used as the crypt of the church of San Nicolò dei Cordari. In the XNUMXth century, during the restoration works under the floor, burials dating back to the XNUMXst-XNUMXnd century AD were found in pit, trunk and capuchin tombs as well as cremations in terracotta urns.

Greek Theatre

Greek theater 2The Greek Theater, almost entirely excavated in the rock, was built in the fifth century. BC rebuilt in the third century. BC and modified in Roman times. In the XNUMXth century many parts were removed in order to use the already squared blocks for the construction of the Spanish fortifications of the city. The restoration works began in the seventeenth century and were completed only in the second half of the twentieth century.

 

Nymphaeum cave

grotto nymphaeumThe Grotta del Ninfeo is a small artificial cavern, which housed the vestibule where the actors and musicians got ready before performing in the adjacent Greek Theater. The entrance to the cave has four votive niches on the sides, two of which were transformed into rock tombs in the Byzantine era. The interior is characterized by the presence of a source fed by the waters of the Galermi Aqueduct, a water pipe from the Greek era.

 

Latomia del Paradiso (Ear of Dionysius)

dionysius2The latomia del Paradiso was a stone quarry, according to tradition it was used by Dionysius (Dionysus) as a place of detention. An artificial cave has become very famous of the Latomia del Paradiso, obtained by excavating a pre-existing aqueduct, m. 65, 5 to 11 meters wide and 23 high, which has a characteristic effect of acoustic amplification of the sounds emitted inside. This acoustic effect, the similarity of the entrance to the auditory canal of the human ear and the small room that can be seen at the top right of the entrance to the cave gave rise to the legend that that cave was excavated by the tyrant Dionysus so that he could listen. , secretly what the inmates said. The name "Ear of Dionysius" was given to him by the painter Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio who visited the latomia in 1608.

Latomia of the Intagliatella

The quarry of the Intagliatella is connected by a short tunnel with the latomia of Paradise, it is the least extensive of the quarries that are located inside the park.

Latomia of Santa Venera

saint veneratesThe latomia of Santa Venera is the easternmost of the Neapolis Park. In the eighteenth century it was transformed into a garden with a rich sub-tropical vegetation, a centuries-old “ficus of the pagodas” is still visible today. The Latomia was used in Greek times as a place of devotion for the heroized dead, as evidenced by the votive grooves in the northern walls of the latomia.

 

Necropolis with caves and "Archimende's Tomb"

necropoligrotticelle 2The cemetery area called "Necropolis with caves" dates back to the Greek and Roman period. The tombs of the Greek age that occupy this area are only a strip of the vast necropolis that extended over the whole plateau, on the edge of the quarries, up to the area above the Greek Theater. This necropolis remained in use from a late Archaic age up to the Hellenistic age.

One of these tombs, clearly visible from the road that runs alongside the park along the Via Romagnoli, is known as the "Tomb of Archimedes". In reality, the tomb in question dates back to the period following the death of Archimedes, as it is a sepulchral chamber of the Roman age provided within two orders of niches for the arrangement of the cinerary urns. The true tomb of Archimedes, as Cicero recounts, was located near the agora, an area far from the Necopoli Grotticelle.

3. Complex of San Giovanni Battista

Church of San Giovanni Battista and Crypt of San Marziano

church of san giovanniComplex of San Giovanni Battista. The Church of San Giovanni Battista was built in Norman times over the Roman catacombs which became a place of Christian worship towards the third century, when, according to tradition, it became the burial place of the first bishop of Syracuse San Marziano. The church was destroyed in the earthquake of 1693 and partially rebuilt using the material of the Norman era church as can be seen by observing the portico that precedes the external facade rebuilt with material from the XNUMXth century.

A staircase on the right side of the remains of the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, allows you to go down to the ancient Crypt of San Marziano, a hypogeum transformed into a church towards the sixth century, following the placement in the place of the body of San Marziano.

The crypt contains numerous frescoes dating from the fifth to the seventeenth century.

Roman catacombs

Roman catacombs 1Complex of San Giovanni Battista. The Roman catacombs were excavated in the XNUMXth century and remained in use untilRoman catacombs 2 at the end of the XNUMXth century. For the construction of the tunnels, the layout of a disused Greek aqueduct was initially followed, which was enlarged to its current size. Similarly, some cisterns already present along the route were converted into funerary chapels.

 

 

4. Area of ​​the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum

Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum

archaeological MuseumViale Teocrito 66. The National Archaeological Museum of Syracuse inaugurated in 1886 was located in Piazza Duomo. Since 1988, under the name of Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum, it has been located in the premises of Villa Landolina. The Museum occupies two exhibition floors of 9.000 m2, and a basement of 3.000 m2, where an auditorium is located.

The museum includes artifacts dating from the prehistoric periods to the Greek and Roman ones from excavations in the city and from other sites in Sicily. The ground floor is divided into 4 sectors (ABCD), while the central body (Area 1) is dedicated to the history of the Museum and the materials exhibited in the individual sectors are briefly presented. Sector A is dedicated to prehistory (Upper Paleolithic-Iron Age); Sector B is dedicated to the Greek colonies of Sicily of the Ionic and Doric period. Sector C exhibits finds from the sub-colonies of Syracuse: Akrai (664 BC), Kasmenai (644 BC), Camarina (598 BC), Eloro. As well as finds from other centers of eastern Sicily and from Gela and Agrigento. Sector D, located on the first floor, was inaugurated in 2006 and contains finds from the Hellenistic-Roman period

Catacombs of Vigna Cassia

CATACOMBS VINEYARD CASSIAThey are the largest in all of Sicily and are named after the owner of the vineyard overlooking the catacomb area, at the time of their discovery. used from the XNUMXrd to the XNUMXth century. They have a cross-shaped central body and numerous secondary ambulatories.

 

Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime

SANCTUARY OF OUR LADY OF TEARSBetween piazza della Vittoria and viale Teocrito is the Sanctuary of the Madonna erected in memory of the event that saw in 1953, in a house in nearby via degli Orti, weep a plaster effigy depicting the Immaculate Heart of Mary, placed at the bedside of two Syracusan spouses. The large structure was built in about 30 years and consists of the crypt and the upper temple, with a conical body formed by 22 daring reinforced concrete ribs that reach a total height of 74,50 m, surmounted by a steel crown 20 meters high, which bears a statue of the Madonna in gilded bronze, the work of F. Caldarella, surrounded by a halo with circular elements and rays.

Sanctuary of Demeter and Kore

DEMETRA AND KOREVictory Square. In the sixties, while the excavations for the construction of the Madonna delle Lacrime Sanctuary were underway, archaeological remains were found dating back to a period ranging from the seventh century. to. C. until the Byzantine era (VI century AD). Traces of the paved road of which Cicero speaks in the "Verrine", which connected the heart of the city with the fusco necropolis, were also identified. South of this "paved road", sources indicate the presence of a sanctuary.
And in fact on the site the foundations of a temple (10 × 18 meters) and an altar were found, dedicated to Demeter and Kore, from which a large quantity of coins, statues, pictures, jars, with the symbols emerged. typical of the “torch and the pig” (symbols of the Demeter-Kore cult).

 

5. Santa Lucia complex

Basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro

SAINT LUCIA AT THE SEPULCHERThe church, built in the Byzantine period (VI century), stands on the place where, according to tradition, Saint Lucia was martyred in 304, rebuilt in the Norman period (XII century) restored in the XIV century and rebuilt after the destruction caused by the earthquake of 1693. The eighteenth-century portico was rebuilt again after a collapse in 1970.

 

 

Sepulcher of Santa Lucia

SEPULCHER SANTA LUCIA SIRACUSAFrom the Catacombs of Santa Lucia an underpass leads directly to the Chapel of the Sepulcher of Santa Lucia, built in the century. XVII, designed by Giovanni Vermexio, in the center of the catacomb area, and above the ancient church dedicated to S. Agata.

The entrance to the Sepolcro di Santa Lucia is today framed by a wooden structure from the Baroque period. In front, under the altar of the chapel, the statue of Saint Lucia sculpted in 1634 by Gregorio Tedeschi is protected by a glass.

 

Catacombs of Santa Lucia

They were excavated starting from the third century and used as catacombs until the fifth century, in the following centuries they were used in areas of worship, including the tomb of Santa Lucia which today stands isolated but which was once an integral part of the catacombs.

6. Villa Reiman and Latomie del Casale

Villa Reiman

REIMAN VILLAVia Necropoli Grotticelle, 14, near the archaeological park of Neapolis. The Villa was built in 1881 by the Hon. Cocuzza and in 1933 it was bought by the Danish noblewoman Christiane Reimann. The park of the villa extends for about 35.000 square meters.

 

Latomie del Casale

Latomie of “Casale e Broggi”. Included in the list of listed archaeological heritage (DA 1731 of 24/09/83)

7. Convent and Latomie of the Capuchins

Church and Convent of the Capuchins

CAPUCHINSThe Church and the Convent of the Capuchins are located in the clearing called Largo delle Latomie, in the Akradina district. The Spanish-style church, dedicated to the Madonna dei Pericoli, was completed in 1583. Under the church the catacombs were dug to bury the corpses of the religious.

 

Latomie of the Capuchins

Largo delle latomie. Used since the 413th century BC as a quarry to procure stones for construction. In these quarries as well as in other quarries of Syracuse, Thucydides tells that in XNUMX BC, after the victory of Syracuse over the Athenian troops, the captured soldiers were locked up and left to die.

8. Contrada of Santa Panagia

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Archaeological site of S. Panagia

HOLY PANAGIAThe archaeological site of Santa Panagia can be reached from Syracuse by a cycle path built on the old railway line that connected the Targia station to the central station of Syracuse.

The name of "Santa Panagia" derives from the presence of a Rock Oratory consecrated to "Santa (Maria) All Holy", which in Greek becomes "Pan Aghia", or "Panagia".

The site contains several archaeological finds: remains of Greek carriages, remains of the ancient gateway to Greek Syracuse, the remains of a Sicilian village and the Oratory of Santa Panagia.

The entire archaeological site is included in the list of restricted archaeological assets (DA 646 of 15/04/87)

Oratory of Santa Panagia

ORATORY OF SANTA PANAGIANext to the tonnara are still visible the remains of an ancient rock church of the Byzantine era, dedicated to the cult of a "Santa (Maria) Tutta Santa". Inside there are the remains of an altar with arched niches in which statues of saints and candles should have been placed. Along the rocky walls there are instead some frescoes, now almost illegible.

Former Tonnara of Santa Panagia

TONNARA OF SANTA PANAGIAThe ancient Tonnara di Santa Panagia was the place where the tuna caught in the Ionian Sea were processed.

 

 

 

 

9. The surroundings of Syracuse

Euryalus Castle

CATELLO EURIALUSAbout 7 km from Syracuse, in the direction of Belvedere. The construction of the Eurialo castle is the work of the tyrant Dionysius who between 402 and 397 BC. C. had a 27 kilometer circle of walls built to defend the city. The Castle constituted the advanced point inland of these walls. The Castle was modified both in Roman times (II century BC and in the period

 

 

 

Temple of Jupiter

TEMPLE OF JUPITERVia Elorina - SS 115, 3 km south of Syracuse. The temple of Olympian Zeus is the oldest Greek temple on the mainland (first decades of the XNUMXth century BC). The construction in Doric order with six columns on the façade and seventeen on the sides.

 

 

 

 

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