Things to do in Syracuse
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Trattoria La Foglia
An eccentric owner/chef and her vegetarian husband have made this place into something of a cult Syracusan restaurant, but the tiny portions and relatively high prices make the eclectic interior take a back seat. The menu features whatever seafood and vegetables are fresh that day and the bread is home-baked. They also have a one- to two-bedroom flat to rent on Ortygia, its décor in the same eclectic style as the restaurant.
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Osteria da Mariano
Specialising in the mountain cuisine of nearby Ragusa, with more meat than fish, this cheerful place sets out a river of tables under the lights and balconies of a narrow alleyway, with cosy indoor seating in a beamed dining room. Everything’s tasty and affordably priced, and the atmosphere’s very convivial, if you can forgive the sometimes lackadaisical service.
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Sicilia in Tavola
A tiny place with a dozen tables that specialises in all manner of fresh pasta dishes (try the speciality of the house, seafood ravioli).
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Basilica di San Giovanni
According to Roman law, Christians were not allowed to bury their dead within the city limits (which during the Roman occupation did not extend beyond Ortygia). Forced to go elsewhere, Christians conducted their burials in the outlying district of Tyche and its underground aqueducts, unused since Greek times. New tunnels were carved out and the result was a labyrinthine network of burial chambers, most of which are inaccessible except the ones underneath the Basilica di San Giovanni.
The church itself is pretty, with its skeletal rose window open to the sun. In the 17th century it served as the city's cathedral and is dedicated to the city's first bishop, St Marcian, who …
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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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Teatro Greco
For the classicist, the highlight of the Neapolis is the lustrous white Teatro Greco, hewn out of the rocky hillside. A masterpiece of classical architecture, the ancient theatre could seat 16,000 people and saw the work of Sophocles, Euripides and the last tragedies of Aeschylus, including The Persians, Prometheus Bound and Prometheus Unbound, which were first performed here in his presence.
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Jonico
Inconveniently located but worth the trek or taxi ride, Jonico’s Liberty (art nouveau) dining room and its open-air terrace have spectacular views of blue-green sea and sandstone cliffs, while the all-Sicilian menu features dishes such as tonno all siciliana (tuna with cherry tomatoes, capers and white wine) and orata c’aranci (gilthead with orange juice, orange peel and black pepper). Below the restaurant, the alluring Bar Zen (open 7.30pm to 2am mid-June to mid-September) doubles as a swimming area and solarium during the day, where you can plunge off rocks or lounge under an umbrella all day before retiring to the outdoor deck to sip drinks all night.
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Fontana Aretusa
Just south of Piazza del Duomo, along Via Picherali, is the Fontana Aretusa, where fresh water bubbles up as it did in ancient times when it was the city's main water supply. Legend has it that the goddess Artemis transformed her beautiful handmaiden Aretusa into the spring to protect her from the unwelcome attention of the river god Alpheus. In her watery guise Aretusa fled from Arcadia under the sea, hotly pursued by Alpheus, their waters mingling as she came to the surface in Ortygia.
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Palazzo Municipale
The Palazzo Municipale or Palazzo Senatoriale was built in 1629 by the Spanish architect Juan Vermexio, nicknamed 'Il Lucertolone' or 'the lizard'. On the left corner of the cornice is the architect's signature: a small lizard carved into a stone. In recent years, excavations beneath the building have uncovered the unfinished remains of an Ionic temple, better known as the 'couch of Artemis', to whom Ortygia was dedicated.
The mansion now serves as the city hall. To see the temple's remains, just ask at the gate.
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Parco Archaeologico della Neapolis
For the classicist, Syracuse’s real attraction is the Parco Archaeologico della Neapolis, with its pearly white, 5th-century-BC Teatro Greco, hewn out of the rock above the city. This theatre saw the last tragedies of Aeschylus (including The Persians ), which were first performed here in his presence. In summer it is brought to life again with an annual season of classical theatre. Check the www.apt-siracusa.it website for information.
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Museo Archeologico Paolo Orsi
In the grounds of Villa Landolina, about 500m east of the archaeological park, is the Museo Archeologico Paolo Orsi. It contains the best organised and most interesting archaeological collection in Sicily (and one of the most extensive archaeological collections in Europe) and certainly merits a visit. The opening hours are all over the place and are often extended in summer; check with one of the tourist offices. The museum is wheelchair accessible.
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Chiesa di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro
The northern end of one of the city's biggest squares, Piazza Santa Lucia, is dominated by the Chiesa di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro. The 17th-century church is built on the spot where the city's patron saint, Lucia, an aristocratic girl who devoted herself to saintliness after being blessed by St Agatha, was martyred in 304. Underneath the church is an impressive network of catacombs (not open to the public) that are the largest in Italy after those in Rome.
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Roman Amphitheatre
The 2nd-century-AD Roman amphitheatre is the third-largest in Italy after the Colosseum in Rome and the amphitheatre in Verona. It was used for gladiator fights and horse races. Roman punters used to park their chariots in the area between the amphitheatre and Viale Paolo Orsi. The Spaniards, little interested in archaeology, destroyed the site in the 16th century, using it as a quarry to build the city walls at Ortygia.
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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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Castello Maniace
At the southern tip of the island is the 13th-century Castello Maniace, built by Frederick II as part of a massive programme of construction that turned Ortygia into an island fortress. Still used as a barracks, the castle is generally off-limits to the public, except during the Ortygia and Greek Classical Drama Festivals when it is the atmospheric venue for musical and theatrical performances.
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Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime
Supposedly modelled on the shape of a tear drop, Syracuse's newest landmark building (it opened in 1994 and reaches a height of 102m) is a rather ugly architectural conceit. The cavernous Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime was commissioned to house a statue of the Virgin that allegedly wept for five days in 1953 and bestowed over 300 miraculous cures within a matter of months.
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Edificio Termale
Along the water to the east of the forum (take Via dell'Arsenale) are the fenced-off remains of the ancient arsenal, once a set of rectangular pits into which ships would be pulled for re-provisioning. Adjacent are the ruins of the Edificio Termale (Thermal Building), a Byzantine bathhouse; it is claimed the Emperor Constans was assassinated with a soap dish here in 668.
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Ente Fauna Siciliana
Landlubbers should consider an excursion with Ente Fauna Siciliana. Itineraries include short hikes along the coastline (€5 per person) and archaeological and botanical itineraries. A calendario attività (activities calendar) with booking numbers and departure points can be downloaded from the website. Most of the tours are in Italian only.
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Museo Regionale d’Arte Medioevale e Moderna
Closed indefinitely for restoration at the time of research, it houses a respectable collection of sculpture and paintings dating from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. Its highlights include Byzantine icons and Caravaggio’s La Sepoltura di Santa Lucia (The Burial of St Lucy; 1608). The palazzo itself is Ortygia’s finest Catalan-Gothic mansion.
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Museo delle Lacrimazione
The Museo delle Lacrimazione, underneath the Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime, explains the events of the miracle of the weeping Virgin statue and the objects associated with it. It also houses the best of the 5000 terracotta votive statues that were found near the sanctuary. You can view the excavations, in Piazza della Vittoria, from outside the fence.
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Museum of Ancient Greek Theatre
Every summer the Teatro Greco is brought to life again with a host of classical dramas, details of which you can obtain from the tourist office or the Museum of Ancient Greek Theatre. The museum showcases some of the wealth of material housed in the archives of the Instituto Nazionale Dramma Antico, including models, designs, playbills and costumes.
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Solaria Vini & Liquori
The perfect place if you want to buy wine and taste it before you commit, or if you just want to have a bit of a snack and a good glass of wine. It's a small, rustic winery on the main street, with snacks of cheese, olives, prosciutto, anchovies, sardines and other Mediterranean delicacies, and the choice of wine is excellent and wide-ranging.
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Taberna Sveva
This charming tavern has a cosy terrace on a peaceful cobblestoned square, down near the castle at Ortygia’s southern tip. Food is top-notch, all the way from primi -like gnocchi al pistacchio (with olive oil, parmesan, pepper, garlic and grated pistachios) to a delicious tiramisu to wrap things up
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Cathedral
The cathedral was a Greek temple that was converted into a church when the island was evangelised by St Paul. The sumptuous baroque facade, designed by Andrea Palma, barely hides the Temple of Athena skeleton beneath, and the huge 5th-century-BC Doric columns are still visible both inside and out.
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La Gazza Ladra
A favourite for students and young professionals, this place is as informal as they get, while still making such excellent food that it features in the Slow Food guide. Try the pasta alla siracusana (with anchovies, breadcrumbs and almonds), a local speciality, and tuck into the fresh fish of the day.
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