Tourist attractions Belvedere

Apart from the Acropolis in Athens, this ensemble is perhaps the most powerful and evocative site bearing witness to the Ancient Greeks. It has the largest Greek theatre in the world, the amazing “ear of Dionysus” , a Roman amphitheatre and the Gr..

This 5C BC theatre, one of the largest monuments from antiquity, was carved into the rock using the natural slope of the Temenite hill. Inaugurated with Perseus by Aeschylus (think about it), it was built by Damocope, also known as Myrilla. Transfo..

Caravaggio christened this amazing cave in the Latomia del Paradiso quarry: as a result of its exceptional acoustics, the tyrant Dionysus could, it is said, hear everything his opponents whispered. A legend, of course: nevertheless this place, crea..

The word Latomia describes the old stone quarries used for the construction of public buildings. And as nothing goes to waste, they made excellent prisons. The Paradise Latonia is the most attractive of these quarries. Now it contains a ravishin..

The Acradina district has since Roman times been devoted to the dead. Carved from solid limestone rock in the 4C-5C and extending over a wide area, the catacombs were centred on the tomb of St Martian, one of the earliest martyrs. Quite complex in st..

It is never a good thing to go against the wishes of Gods: take poor Cyane, for example, a charming nymph, who opposed the raising up of Persephone by Hades. He, in his anger, changed her into a spring. But bad things can be good: today the spring is..

This archaeological museum is tucked away in the park of Villa Landolina. It contains Sicily’s most important collections of artefacts from prehistory to the establishment of Greek colonies at Syracuse. Visitors follow a chronological layout that per..

The oldest part of the city, the island of Ortigia is linked to the mainland by the Ponte Nuovo; the road continues as Corso Umberto I, one of Siracusa’s main thoroughfares. Here the sea is of course the main feature, from the waterfront that extends..

Visiting Cava Grande is a great way to discover the hidden landscapes of the Hyblaean Mountains . The viewing platform offers a wonderful view over the gorge with its imposing limestone walls that plunge into the depths of the valley. The stream t..

Dioniso the old surrounded the Epipoli plateau with ramparts. In total, there is 27 kilometres of ramparts! At Belvedere, on top of Eurialo hill stands one of the world's most impressive ancient fortresses. Three trenches take you into the keep in wh..

Built in the imperial era, it has, like the Greek theatre, profited from the configuration of the terrain, at least for one of the hemicycles which is carved directly into the rock. In the centre of the arena, the rectangular cavity, linked to the en..

This is a former temple built in honour of Athena which was transformed into a church in the 7C then, probably into a mosque by the Arabs, before being remodelled in the Norman era and collapsing in the earthquake of 1693. Entrusted with the reconstr..

Built in the 14C and, sadly in a bad state, this palace has superb ornamental windows surrounded by richly sculpted arches and separated by fine torso columns.

Irregular and slightly concave in front of the cathedral, this charming square is surrounded by attractive Baroque palaces. Notably Palazzo Senatorio, but also Palazzo Benavento del Bosco , which has an attractive interior courtyard. The church of S..

This street is among the main routes through Ortigia and is flanked by noble houses in the Baroque style. Among the most remarkable are the Interlandi Pizzuti palace (at no. 10), the Impellizeri palace (no. 17), the stern Bonanno palace (no. 33), the..

This was the main street of Ortigia and there are some prestigious buildings such as the Blanco palace (no. 14) with the statue of St Anthony placed in a kiosk in the facade, the Mezia house (no. 47), the church of San Filippo Neri, the Bongiovani pa..

The nymph Aretusa had had enough of Alpheus who was too forward for her liking. Diana helped her, aiding her escape through an underground route to Ortigia, where Arethusa was changed into a spring. Peace at last? No, Alpheus had more than one trick ..

This museum is set up in a palace built in the Suebian era. It was extended in the 15C, then reconverted when the friars of the Benedictine monastery next door became its owners. It is mainly devoted to Sicilian art and has two major works, an Annun..

Ancient Hybla was inhabited from the Bronze Age until c 664 BC, when the Syracusans destroyed it. Important necropolises from the period remain in a good state of preservation. The small man-made caves (the earliest are oval, later examples are recta..

This reserve, a narrow strip of marshy coastline, was created in 1984 to provide a protected habitat for migratory species of birds and a peculiar kind of sand-loving Mediterranean vegetation. A path skirting the marshland leads to the so-called Torr..