20 THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN SYRACUSE

Send

Syracuse, what an interesting city! Everything happened here ... or rather, many people passed. To start the Sulos that were followed by the Greeks, the great "guilty" of making this city a legendary place. It was the year 734 BC. A few centuries later, in 212 BC, the Romans arrived, then the Arabs, the Byzantines and the Normans. You can already see that it is a perfect city for those who enjoy gutting the cities and their past (oops, that sounds very sinister). It's like taking an accelerated walk through history, with the great incentive that, in the present, you eat very well! In this post we will tell you 20 things to see and do in Syracuse:

1. The old area of Syracuse is Ortigia, and it is certainly your most charming place. It is actually an island connected to the rest of the city through two bridges. In its network of alleys you can find super photogenic houses (even those that seem to be about to fall apart :-p), churches, small squares and places and restaurants where to stop to refuel. And not only do we say it, it was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

2. In Ortigia a mandatory stop is the Cathedral (Duomo of Syracuse). Admission is free but do not stay alone with the inside: surround it outside and you can see the remains of the old Athena Temple with a very well preserved Greek column. Besides, the Piazza DuomoIt is a great place to have coffee or ice cream!

3. Another thing you have to do in Piazza Duomo, is to visit the Church of Santa Lucia a la Badia. Here is a Caravaggio masterpiece: the Burial of Saint Lucia. Admission is free. Curiosity: if like me, you are a madman of tile floors ... look well where you step * * *

Find cheap accommodationin Syracusehere

4. And we continue in Piazza Duomo, where you will also visit the Hypogeum (€ 5). This site is much loved by the inhabitants of Syracuse, since during the Second World War it was where the statue of Saint Lucia, patron saint of the city, was hidden, and where people protected themselves from aerial bombardment. The route through this subway leaves from Piazza Duomo and ends at the Italico Forum.

5. We didn't go but they talked to us well about Pupi Theater, typical puppets of Sicily. The show is in Italian (but we understand that for € 0.50 you can buy a small guide where you can see, in your language, that the thing is going and thus be able to follow the thread). It lasts approximately 40 minutes and costs € 6 or € 9.50 (depending on the seat). More info.

Piazza Duomo

6. One of the most emblematic places of Syracuse is the Aretusa Fountain, from where you can admire a wonderful panorama of the sea and the coast, and one of the best places to watch the sunset. Legend has it that this fountain was the place where the nymph Aretusa became water.

7. If you want to keep walking (and the weather is gracious to you, which was not with us :-p) you can reach the Castello Maniace, name given in honor of the Byzantine commander Giorgio Maniace. It resurfaces at the end of Ortigia and has been defending the port against foreign attacks probably since the s. XI Admission is € 4.

8. Another stop you should not miss is the Apollo Temple, dedicated to the sun god. It is the oldest Doric temple surrounded by columns (periphery) of Italy and had a quite varied life: after being a Greek temple it was Byzantine church, mosque and finally Christian church.

9. And don't leave without taking a picture of the Diana's Fountain (or Artemide). She is very pretty, really.

10. Very close to the roundabout where this fountain is located, is the A Putia restaurant. Try the pasta alla norma (with tomato, eggplant and ricotta salata) and a cyclope pasta (with pistachio pesto, shrimp, cream and oil), two of the traditional Sicilian recipes. 2 pasta and a water with a liter and a half gas cost us € 20 (and we almost rolled out!).

Apollo Temple

11. And for dessert, a cannolo in the I Cannoli del Re, or better yet a slush in the Voglia Matta. If you want advice, try the pistachio or roasted almond.

12. As you can see, Ortigia Island hides lots of treasures, although for us the best thing is get lost in its alleyways and discover for yourself beautiful corners, little houses that seem to belong to another time and imagine how the city should be at the time of the Greeks. Archimedes himself lived here, did you know? It was in its streets where the famous "Eureka!" in chopped pellet!

13. The Neapolis Archaeological Park It is the other great jewel of Syracuse. After the Valley of the Temples, probably the most important classical ruins in Sicily. You can walk between a Greek theater, a Roman amphitheater, the Altar of Iron II, dedicated to Zeus and that was used for animal sacrifices, or even enter the ear of Dionysus, a quarry that has one of the best acoustics in the world (and in the form of an ear ... hence the name!). The entrance to the park costs € 10. Here we tell you how to visit the Archaeological Park of the Neápolis de Siracusa.

14. If you want to discover more about the city's past, visit the Paolo Orsi Museum, with the largest archaeological collection in all of Sicily.

15. In Syracuse are the second largest catacombs in Italy, after those in Rome, of course. We talk about the Catacombs of San Giovanni And if you don't suffer from claustrophobia, it can be a very interesting visit! Admission is € 8.

Diana's Fountain

16. Interesting is also the architecture of the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Tears (Madonna delle Lacrime). Now, whether it's pretty or not, we leave it to you. We, the truth, are more lovers of other styles. Ugly or pretty leaves no one indifferent.

17. Go to the beach! Syracuse has nice beaches Not too far away. There are even boat trips that take you for a ride, for example at Plemmirio Park. Although if you have several days of time, we advise you to approach the Vendicari Reserve, where you can explore several beaches and see a lagoon with flamingos. Entrance is free. Tip: the beautiful fishing village of Marzamemi... we slept there one night and we loved it!

18. Another coastal town where to take a good excursion isAvola. Also here you can taste one of the most famous Italian wines: the Nero D'Avola.

19. Also in the surroundings of Syracuse is the Riserva Naturale Orientata Cavagrande del Cassibile, full of pools of water and cascaditas where to cool off on hot summer days.

20. And finally, if we talk about excursions, the most famous is undoubtedly the beautiful baroque city of I notice. Worth getting close to!