Siracusa Historical Buildings and Monuments

Manmade and natural wonders that have survived to bear witness to such a glorious past.

Greek Theater

This wonderful theater was hewn into the rock of Temenite Hill around the 5th century B.C. It is the largest in Sicily and is still one of the main hubs of cultural life in Syracuse: each year several famous Greek Tragedies are played out in this magical place so full of history.

Roman Amphitheater

This amphitheater was built during the Augustan period and was recently rediscovered just a short distance from the Greek Theater. It is the third largest amphitheater in Italy after the ones in Rome and Verona. The elliptical-shaped amphitheater is almost entirely hewn into the rock and was built to hold gladiator contests, fierce animal fights and simulations of naval battles.

Orecchio di Dioniso (Ear of Dionysius)

This is a deep cave about 65 meters deep, 11 meters wide and 23 meters high. It is famous for its special acoustics, which are due to the acute angle-shape of the ceiling that is similar in shape to the outer ear, hence its name “Orecchio” which means “Ear”. It has unbelievable acoustic powers: a sound produced inside the cave is amplified up to 16 times.

Grotta dei Cordari

This grotto is called in this manner as this was the place where the “cordari” (rope makers) carried out their work for centuries, making use of the humid atmosphere so they could twist the ropes more easily. This grotto is extremely pretty and is covered with musk and ferns inside.

Castello Maniace

This castle was built by Frederick II of Swabia. Its imposing structure stands on a far point of Ortigia overlooking the sea and owes its name to the Byzantine general who conquered Syracuse around 1000.

Eurialo Castle

This fortress was built on the Elisoli plateau around 400 B.C. by Dionysius the Old to defend the city from the Carthaginians. There is a complex network of tunnels underneath the castle that allowed the soldiers to move around in the event of an attack.