Cave sights in Syracuse
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A
Latomia del Paradiso
Enter the Latomia del Paradiso, a limestone quarry full of huge hollows and caves, planted with orange and olive trees, via the northern site. In Greek times the quarry was vaulted by a 'roof' of earth that collapsed in the 1693 earthquake, leaving it open to the sunlight. It was only after this that the gardens were planted.
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B
Orecchio di Dionisio
A renowned curiosity at the heart of the Garden of Paradise is the ear-shaped man-made grotto known as the Orecchio di Dionisio (Ear of Dionysius). According to Caravaggio, Dionysius must have had it built so he could listen in on the conversations of the prisoners, but it is most likely that the grotto - 23m high and 65m deep - was dug out as a rock quarry and later used as a sounding board for theatrical performances.
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C
Grotta dei Cordari
The now-closed Grotta dei Cordari (Rope-makers' Cave) is a grotto, supported by pillars, once used in the manufacture of rope; in antiquity, humidity was an essential ingredient in rope manufacture and the cave had plenty of it.
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