Ph. Credits: Eliseo Lupo © 2018
The cathedral is amazing – it’s an ancient Greek temple dedicated to Athena, that was converted into a church by the Byzantines, and was probably used as a mosque by the Arabs in the 10th century.
Its exuberant Baroque facade hides over 2400 years of history – not to mention the beautiful silver statue of Santa Lucia, Siracusa’s patron saint!
To watch a Greek play in the Greek theatre at sunset is quite an experience – you can imagine the figures from the past sitting there too – Plato, Cicero, Archimedes. Filled year-round with Sicilian sunlight, during May and June, the theatre comes to life for the INDA productions and fills with spectators of all ages and nationalities.
The Latomie are the ancient quarries where slaves laboured to cut the stone to build the classical city. Today it’s a beautiful garden full of citrus trees and flowers, that echoes with the voices of visitors trying out the acoustics of the most famous cave in the Quarry of Paradise, the ‘Ear of Dionysius’
Built by Emperor Frederick II in the 13th century, the castle guards the entrance to the Great Harbour of Siracusa. The columned hall with its wonderful carved capitals and arches feels like a cross between a mosque and a Gothic cathedral, while the views from the defensive walls are stunning.
