In the southernmost corner of Sicily (and of Italy) stands Syracuse, set along a delightful bay, and extending
partly over the mainland and partly over the island-promontory of Ortygia, where the history of the city began
when it was colonised by the Corinthians (734 BC). Together with the rock necropolis of Pantalica
it has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 2005, and was defined by Cicero as "the largest
and most beautiful of all the Greek cities".
There is extensive evidence from the Greek period: in the archaeological area of Neapolis, the ancient heart
of the city, is the Greek Theatre, with superb acoustics, which together
with the deep cavern known as the Ear of Dionysius, carved out for the
quarrying of stone, is often used in the summer season for highly
evocative classical performances, organised by the INDA (Ancient Drama Institute). Close to the Greek Theatre
are the Altar of Hieron II, the Latomia
del Paradiso and that of the Cappuccini, (in which the solders taken
prisoner in the war with Athens were imprisoned and left to die of hunger and privation). It is here that the
festival of art, music and literature LatomiArte is held, from August to September.
Syracuse also has several partially intact
temples, including the Temple of
Jupiter and the Temple of Apollo,
the oldest in Sicily. Also in the Neapolis area are the Grotta dei Cordari,
the Euryalus Castle, the Duomo
(the first church to be built in a western city and constructed over the remains of an ancient Greek temple).
There are also various important Roman buildings, such as the Amphitheatre,
the Gymnasium and the intricate network of Catacombs
(Syracuse was conquered by Rome during the Second Punic War in 212 BC).
The city has a lively art scene, in the realm of painting and sculpture, sustained by a number of art galleries.
As regards the museums, visitors can choose between the Galleria Regionale
di Palazzo Bellomo, the Museo "Paolo Orsi", the
Museo del Cinema and the Museo del
Papiro. Syracuse is in fact famous the world over also
for the presence of papyrus, which grows luxuriantly along the banks of the Ciane river and in the
Arethusa Spring at Ortygia.
Among the most important summer events are the Ortigia Festival, the
international short film festival of Marzamemi, and the
International Ballet Festival.
