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ACQUARIO DI SIRACUSA
One of the leading attractions in Siracusa is the Communal Aquarium; set up at the beginning of the 1960s by the great Bolognese ichthyologist Werter Paccagnella, after many years of closure has been completely restructured and renovated. Divided int...
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA OF P.ZZA VITTORIA IN SYRACUSE
In the place that at the time of Dionysius I was the residential area of the pentapolis, represented by the quarters Tyche and Acradina - the former owed its name to a temple dedicated to the goddess of fortune, the second, instead to wild pears, "ac...
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CASTLE OF EURIALO IN SYRACUSE
On top of the Epipoli high plateau - a place of enormous historical fascination, from where a magnificent panorama of Greek Syracuse and a good part of the east coast of Sicily can be enjoyed - just 8 km. from the city centre, stands the mighty defen...
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CATACOMBS OF SYRACUSE
The catacombs of Syracuse are numerous and of great historic importance - vast and complex, second only in size and importance to the Roman catacombs - being among the oldest Christian communities in the Roman empire, thanks to the presence and preac...
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CHURCH OF SANTA LUCIA EXTRA MOENIA
The church of Santa Lucia outside the walls stands on the place where, according to popular belief, the saint, the patron saint of Siracusa, suffered martyrdom in 303 AD. Erected in the sixth century, then rebuilt in the Norman period, and later rest...
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CHURCH OF S. GIOVANNI EVANGELISTA IN SYRACUSE
Siracusa was a notably important centre in the evolution of the history of Christendom, as, among other things, the catacombs running under the city testify. Exactly above an ancient crypt, situated near fourth-century catacombs, stands the church of...
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FONTE ARETUSA
In the heart of the historic centre of Siracusa, stands the famous Arethusa fountain - a freshwater spring, coming from the Iblei mountains, that once gushed from a grotto situated near the sea and used for the preparation of hide - one of the most f...
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FONTI DEL CIANE
In the immediate vicinity of Siracusa flows the River Ciane, its name linked to the deep blue (from the Greek "kyanos") of its waters, and to the legend of the eponymous nymph, Cyane; in fact, it is said that the gracious naiad, loved by the river go...
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REGIONAL GALLERY OF SYRACUSE
The Siracusa Regional Gallery is housed in the rooms of the ex-monastery of S. Benedetto, made up of the fourteenth-century Parisio palace and the Bellomo palace, an elegant thirteenth-century building. The museum is organised on a chronological basi...
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GASTRONOMIA DI SIRACUSA
Siracusa has been known since ancient times for the culinary skills of its cooks and for the extraordinary variety of produce grown in the area, so much so that the echo of the sumptuous Ortygia banquets rings from Archestrato and Plato. Rich and sop...
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GINNASIO ROMANO OF SYRACUSE
In Syracuse, on Via Elorina stands an interesting monumental complex, most probably dating from the second half of the first century AD and known as the Roman gymnasium. The structure from the imperial Roman period comprised a theatre, an Italic-styl...
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STONE QUARRIES OF SYRACUSE
Among the main attractions of Syracuse are the stone quarries, very ancient open cast stone quarries, from which the ancient Greeks extracted the typical white-golden limestone blocks used to construct the city's walls and many of the public building...
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P. ORSI REGIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF SYRACUSE
The P. Orsi Regional Archaeological Museum, the most important in Sicily and also at European level, stands within the splendid villa Landolina park, in an area that spreads from the Catacombs of S. Giovanni and those of Vigna Cassia, with a wealth o...
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MUSEUM OF PAPYRUS IN SYRACUSE
An interesting museum was set up in 1989, ideated by Corrado Basile and dedicated to the papyrus, a typical aquatic plant and symbol of the city of Siracusa. Created with the intention of promoting, preserving and appreciating the culture of the papy...
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NEAPOLIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF SYRACUSE
The superb Neapolis Archaeological Park, embracing the greater part of the city's magnificent Greek and Roman monuments within its vast perimeter, was set up in Syracuse between1952 and 1955, when the area was fenced off, provided with entries and co...
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NECROPOLIS OF FUSCO IN SYRACUSE
Near the new cemetery of Syracuse, on the southern slopes of Mount Epipoli stretches a kind of rocky terrace for about 2 km, known by the name of Fusco. In this area in 1878, during the completion work of the Syracuse-Licata railway line, the remains...
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ORTIGIA
One of the most renowned and ancient areas of Syracuse is that of the small island of Ortygia, with its surface area of just 1 sq. km. The islet owes its name to the quail, since the shape of the island resembles the bird sacred to Athena. Stretching...
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MANIACE CASTLE OF SYRACUSE
On the southernmost tip of the islet of Ortigia - precisely where the governor Verre had his luxurious villa built- rises the huge form of the Maniace castle, a superb fortress built around 1239 on the orders of the emperor Frederick II, an admirable...
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BELLOMO RESIDENCE OF SYRACUSE
The magnificent Bellomo residence in Siracusa has housed the regional Gallery of medieval and modern art since 1940. The building was probably constructed for Frederick II as part of the emperor's reconstruction plans after the building of the Maniac...
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SANCTUARY OF THE MADONNA DELLE LACRIME IN SYRACUSE
One of the most majestic monuments in Siracusa is the huge sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime, an unusual conical construction, that dominates the whole city from its height of 74 m. in Piazza della Vittoria. The original church was erected in 19...
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GREEK THEATRE OF SYRACUSE
Opposite Hieron's altar, inside the archaeological park, stands the most famous Greek monument in Syracuse, the majestic and very beautiful theatre, maximum expression of Greek theatrical architecture and scene technique. The theatre's original struc...
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APOLLO TEMPLE OF SYRACUSE
In 1860, on the islet of Ortygia (near Piazza Pancali), inside a sixteenth-century Spanish barracks the remains of an ancient temple consecrated to Apollo were found, as an inscription on the building's stylobate makes clear. The temple, the oldest D...
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DEMETER AND KORE TEMPLE OF SYRACUSE
Near the archaeological area of Piazza Vittoria, to the south of a large paved street, are the remains of what ancient sources indicate a sanctuary, most likely consecrated to Demeter and to Kore, the goddesses of the Eleusinian mysteries. Unfortunat...
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ZEUS OLYMPIUS TEMPLE OF SYRACUSE
On Via Elorina, near the River Ciane, just 3 km. from Syracuse, stood the huge Doric temple dedicated to Zeus Olympius, the famous "Olympieion", one of the oldest buildings in Greek Syracuse. The Doric sanctuary, erected at the beginning of the fourt...
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ALTAR OF HIERON II IN SYRACUSE
Right at the entrance to the spectacular archaeological park of Syracuse vestiges of the majestic altar of Hieron II can be seen, a gigantic altar used for public sacrifices, constructed on the orders of the tyrant in the third century BC , during th...
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CHURCHES OF SYRACUSE
Syracuse has an interesting religious-architectural heritage: the monumental complex of the Capuchin friars is exceptionally lovely, comprising the seventeenth-century church and the huge monastery. The loggia of the monastery is superb, as is the tr...
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GROTTICELLI NECROPOLI OF SYRACUSE
In the north-eastern area of the Archaeological Park of Neapoli there are the interesting Grotticelli necropoli, that include tombs from very diverse periods: fifth- and fourth-century BC Greek, Hellenic, Roman and Byzantine burials dug into the lime...
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COMMUNAL THEATRE OF SYRACUSE
On the street of the same name, that then opens out onto Piazza S. Giuseppe, stands the Communal Theatre of Siracusa, a huge nineteenth-century building. The theatre, building began in 1872, was founded to substitute the mobile one, made of wood, wh...
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DUOMO OF SYRACUSE
The majestic duomo of Siracusa is an admirable example of the coexistence and superimposition of ancient and modern architectural techniques. On the spot where the mother church stands, the highest on the island of Ortygia, in fact, at the time of th...
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NOBLE PALACES OF SYRACUSE
The architectural heritage of Siracusa with its attractive buildings is extraordinarily rich and interesting. To begin with there is the majestic City Hall, located in piazza Duomo built in 1622 to a design by the Spanish architect G. Vermexio, whose...
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ROMAN ANPHITHEATRE OF SYRACUSE
The magnificent, massive Roman amphitheatre of Syracuse stands near the small church of S. Nicolo' dei Cordari, a building originally dating from the early-Christian era, later restructured in the Norman period, from which the apse with its narrow wi...
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