Travels in Italy--Siracusa (Part 1 of 5)

After visiting the Villa Romana Casale, we arrived in the ancient city of Siracusa (Syraucse in English). 

Siracusa is located on the eastern side of Sicily.  It has a natural harbor and the original settlement was located on an easily defended island in the harbor.  The land near the town is especially fertile.  The town was first established by Greeks from Corinth in 734 or 733 B.C.  The town grew quickly and became one of the most powerful Greek city-states anywhere.  

The early history of Siracusa is filled with periods of peace and war and with despots and benevolent governments.  Famous inhabitants include the poet Aeschylus and the scientist Archimedes, who was born in Siracusa.  Greek culture and religion flourished in Siracusa with a large theater and several temples. 

Siracusa's later history follows the same pattern as in the rest of Sicily; a succession of civilizations sought to conquer Siracusa--the Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and so on.

Today, Siracusa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  After arriving in Siracusa, we enjoyed a visit to some of the city's ancient sites. 

Greek Theater:  North of the old city is a large Greek theater, first built in the 400's B.C. and rebuilt in the 200's B.C.  Like a typical Greek theater, the theater in Siracusa is carved into a hillside and semicircular to provide excellent acoustics.  It is among the largest Greek theaters ever built.  The theater, although partially destroyed over the centuries, is still used today, without electronic sound amplification. 

The Greek Theater in Siracusa, with the stage decorated for an annual series of plays performed during May-July.

The "worst" seats in the theater (for women and slaves) provide the best views of the harbor in the distance.

Behind the theater is a fountain fed by an aqueduct carved into the rock by the Greek settlers.

Latomia del Paradiso:  Near the Greek Theater are stone quarries that provided building material for Siracusa's ancient buildings, including its temples.  One quarry, a latomia in Italian, is pictured below.  The quarries were sometimes used as prisons for captured soldiers who were left to die from starvation and disease.

The Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio di Dionisio):  In the Latomia del Paradiso is a cave called the Ear of Dionysius.  The cave is S-shaped, somewhat like an ear lobe, and was first created by a natural underground stream.  The quarry was mined, the cave was also mined, expanding it outward and downward.  The cave has excellent acoustics.  Even a whisper is easily heard.  The fabricated legend is that the paranoid tyrant Dionysius would eavesdrop on prisoners kept there. 

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Some random dude in the Orecchio di Dionisio.

Altar of Hieron:  Near the Greek theater is the Altar of Hieron, a religious site built in the 200's B.C.  The altar is large, about 75' wide and 650' long.  Before its partial destruction, it had high walls.  The purpose of the altar is unclear.  One theory is that the altar was a temple dedicated to Zeus In or near the temple, animals, as many as 450 bulls, were ritually sacrificed their bodies were burnt in the building. 

Roman Amphitheater:  Following the Roman Empire's conquest of Siracusa and the rest of Sicily, the Romans in the 1st century B.C. built an oval amphitheater near the Greek theater.  The amphitheater was likely used for gladiator contests and other spectacles.

Next Up:  More strolling in Siracusa.