Travels in Italy--Siracusa (Part 3 of 5)

Our tour of Siracusa continues. 

Archaeological Museum:  While in Siracusa, we visited an archaeological museum, the Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi, considered to be among the best in Europe.  The museum is dedicated to the Italian archaeologist Paolo Orsi, who championed the effort to discover and conserve Italy's ancient origins.  The museum is large and the collection of ancient artifacts is amazing.  A large portion of the collection was discovered at sites in Sicily, many in southeastern Sicily near Siracusa.  Given the long history of Sicily with its advanced civilizations of indigenous peoples and then Greek settlers, it is no wonder that the museum is a treasure.    

While visiting the museum, we saw and learned some amazing things.  First, we learned that most of ancient Sicily was underwater before the oceans receded. 

11 million years ago, Sicily was a collection of small islands.  The dotted line depicts modern Sicily. 

After the oceans receded, the island of Sicily rose from the water and took its current shape.  Who knew?

The museum has many displays filled ancient artifacts.  Some are prehistoric, like the noes pictured below, while some are from the historical eras of indigenous peoples and the Greek settlers.   

The museum has thousands of artifacts from the Greek era.  Many are well-preserved, 

A Greek goddess with some of her ancient terracotta pots.

The museum has models of the Greek temples in ancient Siracusa.  Below is a model of the Temple of Apollo.  If you recall from an earlier post, the Temple of Apollo is in ruins today, but it was once a magnificent building.

There is also a model of the Temple of Athena.  You might remember that the temple is still standing, adapted as the Cathedral of Siracusa.  Like the Temple of Apollo, the Temple of Athena was a magnificent building.   

The museum building itself is fascinating.  The museum (pictured below) is a collection of geometric shapes. 

The Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Tears:  In 1953, Siracusa apparently experienced a miracle.  A glazed effigy of Mary cried human tears over four days.  Declared to be a miracle, the event was memorialized with the construction of a very large religious building, completed in 1994.  The building (pictured below) is a modern concrete structure.  Some say its shape resembles a tear.  The miraculous effigy is housed in the main altar of the sanctuary.   

The Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Tears

Interior of the sanctuary, looking upward toward the dome. 

The main altar of the sanctuary

The Madonna of the Tears

Next Up:  Winston Churchill slept here.