This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our tour of Sicily in September 2023. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from Don and MT’s trip to Sicily in 2005 will have “2005” at the beginning of the caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from Don and MT’s trip to Sicily in 2005 will have “2005” at the beginning of the caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.
Around 8:30 am, we went to buffet breakfast at hotel.
Saturday, September 23, 2023, 8:14 AM - Borgo de Luce I Monasteri: Don in passage leading from our rooms to the reception and breakfast area.
8:40 AM - Borgo de Luce I Monasteri: breakfast seating outside.
8:59 AM - Borgo de Luce I Monasteri: Don's sweets for breakfast.
10:08 AM - Borgo de Luce I Monasteri: part of old monastery near entrance to hotel reception.
Then we drove into Syracuse.
Syracuse (Italian: Siracusa,
Sicilian: Saragusa) is a historic city (pop. 121,605) on the southeast corner
of Sicily. It is the capital of the province of Syracuse. The city is known for
its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheaters, architecture, and as
the birthplace and home of the eminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes (ca.
287-212 BC). The 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when
it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world. It was founded in
734 or 733 BC by Ancient Greek Corinthians and Teneans and became a very
powerful city-state. Allied with Sparta and Corinth, it exerted influence over
the entirety of Magna Graecia. In the 5th century BC, its complete territory
had a population of 250,000 and it equaled Athens in size. It later became part
of the Roman Republic and the Byzantine Empire. It served as the capital of the
Byzantine Empire in 663-669 BC, during Muslim invasions. It remained the center
of Byzantine resistance to the Muslim conquest until it fell in 878 BC. It
remained one of the last Arab strongholds until the Normans entered Syracuse in
1085. Palermo later overtook it in importance, as the capital of the Kingdom of
Sicily.
First, we went to the Neapolis Archaeological Area.
The
Neapolis Archaeological Area (Parco Archaeologico della Neapolis) was
established in 1955 to group the most important antiquities of Syracuse within
one site. The Greek Theater, the Roman Amphitheater, the ancient stone quarries
of the Latomia, the Ear of Dionysus, and the Altar of Hieron II are just some
of the monuments found within this large green area located at the entrance of
the modern city of Syracuse.
12:00 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Altar of Hieron II.
The
Altar of Hieron II, also known as the Great Altar of Syracuse, is
considered the largest surviving altar of the Magna Graecia. It is located
slightly to the southeast of the Greek Theater. It was built in the 3rd century
BC, during the Hellenistic period of Magna Graecia by King Hiero II, also
called Hieron II, the Greek tyrant of Syracuse. It was surrounded by columns, and
during the Roman era, it was adorned with luxurious trees in the courtyard.
Unfortunately, only the base of this huge structure remains today. However, the
foundations alone are impressive in size (198 x 23 m). This makes it the
largest altar known from the ancient world. The altar was part of a larger
complex. This monument was dedicated to Zeus and was used for public sacrifices,
in which as many as 450 bulls were killed at one time. Starting in late
antiquity, the altar was quarried away as raw material for other structures in
Syracuse, most recently in the early 15th century.
12:05 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Stone pillar near the Altar of Hieron II and the Greek Theater, in the Latomia del Paradiso.
The
Italian latomia (plural latomie) derives from the Latin lātomĭae,
which in turn derives from the Greek latomiai composed of las,
meaning “stone” and tomiai from temnein, meaning “to cut.” Therefore,
latomia came to mean a stone quarry. In Greco-Roman antiquity, they were
stone or marble quarries used to incarcerate slaves, prisoners of war, or
criminals.
The best-known latomie are those of Syracuse. They were probably excavated as early as the 6th century BC and were used until Roman times. They were used to build monuments and edifices in the old town and later the city’s fortification walls.
There were 12 latomie all over the town of Syracuse. They were notorious because that was where 7,000 Athenian prisoners of war were forced to work after they had been defeated by the Syracusans in the war between Syracuse and Athens in 413 BC. There are visible traces of use after the Greek era as a place of worship and a pagan and Christian necropolis.
The smallest ones have since been swallowed up by the modern city. However, it is still possible to visit some of them. The best known of these quarries are the Latomia del Paradiso and the Ear of Dionysus located within it. The Grotta dei Cordari (Ropemaker’s Grotto) quarry is immediately beyond the Latomia del Paradiso. All those are inside the Neapolis Archaeological Area, at the western end of the Latomie complex. The most easterly quarry is the Latomia dei Cappuccini, outside the Neapolis Archaeological Area.
The best-known latomie are those of Syracuse. They were probably excavated as early as the 6th century BC and were used until Roman times. They were used to build monuments and edifices in the old town and later the city’s fortification walls.
There were 12 latomie all over the town of Syracuse. They were notorious because that was where 7,000 Athenian prisoners of war were forced to work after they had been defeated by the Syracusans in the war between Syracuse and Athens in 413 BC. There are visible traces of use after the Greek era as a place of worship and a pagan and Christian necropolis.
The smallest ones have since been swallowed up by the modern city. However, it is still possible to visit some of them. The best known of these quarries are the Latomia del Paradiso and the Ear of Dionysus located within it. The Grotta dei Cordari (Ropemaker’s Grotto) quarry is immediately beyond the Latomia del Paradiso. All those are inside the Neapolis Archaeological Area, at the western end of the Latomie complex. The most easterly quarry is the Latomia dei Cappuccini, outside the Neapolis Archaeological Area.
The
Latomia del Paradiso (Latomia of Paradise) is a deep, precipitous
limestone quarry from which stone for the ancient city of Syracuse was
excavated. Like all other latomie in Syracuse, it was used as a prison for war
and political prisoners. Its vaulted “roof” of earth collapsed in the
earthquake of 1693, leaving it exposed to sunlight. Among the various quarries,
the Latomia del Paradiso holds particular fame and is now part of the Neapolis
Archaeological Area. It is located at the far west of the quarry complex, near
the Altar of Hieron II.
12:08 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Sign for "Grotta dei Cordari," "Orecchio di Dionisio," and "Grotta del Salnitro," all to the left, within the Latomia del Paradiso.
Because these caves were all close together, it was sometimes difficult to identify the following photos, except for those accompanied by signs.
MT 12:07 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - tall pillar in Latomia del Paradiso, with opening of Grotta del Salnitro on cliff in far left background.
12:08 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Grotta del Salnitro in Latomia del Paradiso, with MT in foreground.
The
Grotta del Salnitro (Saltpeter Grotto) is located in the same cliff face
as the Orecchio di Dionisio and Grotta dei Cordari and is quite similar to the
latter. The name is due to the fact that saltpeter deposited on the damp walls
was easy to recover and use. A gigantic boulder has fallen in front of the
mouth of the cave.
12:09 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Grotta del Salnitro, identifiable by the huge boulder partially blocking entrance (very deep).
MT 12:11 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Don by entrance to Grotta del Salnitro, with huge boulder at left and more light on the interior.
MT 12:10 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Grotta del Salnitro, inside entrance to grotto (high ceiling).
12:09 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Grotta del Salnitro, inside entrance to grotto (high ceiling).
12:12 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Grotta del Salnitro, deeper inside, looking back toward entrance.
12:12 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Grotta del Salnitro, view back to entrance from still deeper inside.
12:14 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - another small opening within Grotta del Salnitro.
12:14 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - inside Grotta del Salnitro.
MT 12:16 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Grotta del Salnitro, view from inside back to entrance, partially blocked by huge boulder, with marks of quarrying on roof and side.
12:24 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Sign for "Grotta dei Cordari" (Grotto of the Rope Makers), with entrance in background; English text reads:
"Carved by stone quarriers, it is composed by a series of 'rooms', with polychrome-dyed walls. It takes its name from the artisans who, until 1984, produced ropes inside."
12:24 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - entrance to Grotta dei Cordari, in fenced-off area behind that sign.
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Syracuse: Neapolis Archeological Area – Grotta dei Cordari interior (By Salvo
Cannizzaro – OwnWork at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grotta_dei_Cordari.jpg).
The Grotta dei Cordari (Grotto of the Ropemakers) is located in the complex of the Latomia del Paradiso, next to the Orecchio di Dionisio and to the Grotta del Salnitro. Here, for 300 years, from the 17th century until 1984, craftsmen produced ropes, taking advantage of the humidity and size of the place. For obvious space requirements, some of the work was carried out in the open air, in any space long enough to allow threads to be stretched, woven, and twisted into rope.
The Grotta, now unusable due to high level of humidity, is an enormous quarry with inner walls covered with moss and fern, surrounded by lush vegetation. It has vaults supported by pillars hanging from the ceiling like large stalactites, left by the quarrymen, between the huge overhanging walls.
MT 12:26 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - MT by entrance to Grotta dei Cordari.
12:27 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - entrance to Ear of Dionysius.
The
Orecchio di Dionisio (Ear of Dionysius), located in the Latomia del
Paradiso, is a 65-m long tunnel back into the cliff that is between 5 m and 11
m wide and 23 m high. Its name comes from the similarity of its shape to the
human ear. Horizontally, it bends in an approximate “S” shape. It is shaped
like a Gothic arch, with a pointed apex. The strange shape gives the place
strange acoustics, with the sound reflected up to 16 times. According to
legend, this allowed the local tyrant Dionysius the Elder (Dionysius II), who
ruled Syracuse from 432 to 367 BC, to spy on his captives, including the most
dangerous prisoners, by sitting by a small opening at the top of the cave, from
where the even calmest whisper was amplified to be clearly heard.
12:28 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - sign for "Orecchio di Dionisio" (Ear of Dionysius); English text reads:
"Artificial cave with a characteristic sinuous shape which ends with a pointed arch and with particular acoustics ability."
MT 12:28 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - MT by entrance of Ear of Dionysius.
MT 12:30 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Don by entrance of Ear of Dionysius.
12:28 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Ear of Dionysius, top of entrance.
12:30 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Ear of Dionysius, lower part of entrance, with squared-off entrance to another cave on right and MT taking photo in right foreground.
MT 12:31 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Ear of Dionysius, deeper into the ear, in darkness, with squared-off entrance to another cave on right.
12:31 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Ear of Dionysius, still deeper into the ear, in darkness.
12:32 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Ear of Dionysius, view back to the entrance.
Then we came to the Greek Theater.
12:43 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Greek Theater, walkway leading to stage on orchestra and part of the cavea (seating area/auditorium).
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Syracuse: Neapolis Archeological Area – aerial view of Greek Theater in 2006 (By
fotovideomike from Italia (Michele Ponzio, @michele_ponzio) - Teatro greco di
Siracusa, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33264647).
The Teatro Greco (Greek Theater) lies on the south slopes of the Temenite hill, overlooking the modern city of Syracuse. It as built in the 5th century BC using stone from the hill and may have had straight banks of seats rather than the semicircular form seen today, which resulted from renovations in the 3rd century. This form takes into account the shape of the Temenite hill and the best possibilities for acoustics. It could accommodate up to 16,000 people.
The seating area (theatron) had a diameter of 138.6 m, one of the largest in the Greek world. It originally had 57 rows of seats, mostly cut into rock, and divided into nine sectors (cunei) by access stairs. A pathway (diazoma) runs around the theater halfway up the cavea (seating area\auditorium), dividing it in two. The upper portion of the seating, now destroyed, was built up on top of an embankment held up by a retaining wall. On the central axis of the cavea, a platform was cut into the rock, perhaps a place for particularly important people to sit. The orchestra (a circular piece of ground at the bottom of the theatron, where the chorus and actors performed) was originally bounded by a wide drain (euripus), with a space on the outside before the beginning of the steps by which the public entered. The skené (background or scenic wall) is entirely destroyed, and only the cuttings in the bed rock for its foundations are now visible.
Remaining
abandoned for centuries, it underwent spoliation (pillaging) at the hands of
the Spanish in the 16th century, using the stone blocks to construct new
fortifications on Ortygia. This process led to the destruction of the skené and
the upper part of the seating. At the end of the 18th century, interest in the
theater revived, and in the following century, proper excavations took place,
freeing the monument of the dirt that had built up on top of it. In 2014, the
government authorized the use of the theater for summer events like music,
singing, and dancing performances. In even numbered years the Greek Theater
hosts a summer program of classical theater; Greek tragedies and comedies.
12:43 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Greek Theater, stage in orchestra and part of cavea.
12:46 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - view, from Greek Theater, of quarry cliff face with small caves high up.
12:48 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - sign pointing back to "Teatro: Orchestra" of Greek Theater.
12:49 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - view back toward orchestra of Greek Theater (mild telephoto 42 mm).
12:56 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - sign for "Are di Ierone" (Altar of Hieron), "Anfiteatro" (Amphitheater), and Exit, pointing to left.
1:02 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - sign for "Anfiteatro Romano" (Roman Amphitheater) and exit, now pointing to right.
1:02 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - sign with plan of Roman Amphitheater with red dot at bottom center for "You Are Here."
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Syracuse: Neapolis Archeological Area – Roman Amphitheater (By Davide Mauro -
Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=105251651).
The Anfiteatro Romano (Roman Amphitheater) is one of the best-preserved structures in Syracuse. It was built between the second half of the second and the fourth centuries AD, during the Roman period of Syracuse’s history. It was partially destroyed by the Spanish in the 16th century, but remaining parts are well preserved. For years it remained buried and was only brought to light in 1839.
It is near the Greek Theater and the Altar of Hieron but is on a different orientation from those other structures, probably following the lines of an urban plan developed in the late classical period. The amphitheater is largely excavated out of the living rock and in the northeast takes advantage of the slope of the same rocky outcropping into which the Greek Theater was built. Almost nothing of the masonry superstructure survives. The structure has monumental dimensions, measuring about 140 m in length and 119 m in width. This amphitheater is surpassed in size only by the Colosseum in Rome.
There are two entrances and a complicated system of steps that led from the upper levels to the exterior. At the center of the arena, there was a rectangular pit, which was originally covered. An underground passage ran from this pit to the entrance at the southern end of the amphitheater. The pit and passage were necessary for machinery used during the spectacles. The seating in the cavea is separated from the arena by a high platform, under which was a vaulted corridor through which gladiators and wild beasts entered the arena. Higher up, there are another two covered walkways running around the entire arena under the seating, while a third walkway ran around the top of the monument and may have had a colonnaded portico running around the top of it. From these circular walkways, a series of radial passages allow access to the various sectors of the cavea.
Ancient Greek theaters were usually horseshoe-shaped with an orchestra at the bottom and a stage and skené at the back. However, the Romans preferred amphitheaters with an elliptical shape and seating all around an arena. They were less interested in the performance of tragedies and comedies and more keen to see wild beasts, gladiators, or horse races.
1:02 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Roman Amphitheater, tunnels under stone seating.
1:04 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Roman Amphitheater, circular passage around seating area.
1:04 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Roman Amphitheater, rectangular pit in center of arena, surrounded by stone seating.
1:04 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Roman Amphitheater, covered walkway running around the entire arena under the seating.
1:04 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Roman Amphitheater, entrance to covered walkway.
1:04 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - Roman Amphitheater, view from top of seating area down to arena.
1:07 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - sign with plan of Roman Amphitheater, identical to sign at 1:02 pm except that red dot for "You Are Here" has moved from bottom center farther to the right.
1:27 PM - Syracuse: Neapolis Archaeological Area - sign for "Monumental Area of Neapolis" with "You Are Here" marker in center, between the Greek Theater and Roman Amphitheater.
Then we went to Ortygia for our meeting place, at Largo Aretusa, for the Ortygia Boat Tour around the island, that was included in our package deal. The tour was scheduled to start at 4 pm, but our voucher said we needed to reach the meeting point 30 minutes beforehand. We arrived with time for a quick snack.
The
small island of Ortygia (romanized form of Greek name of Ὀρτυγία,
meaning “quail”; Italian: Ortigia) is the historical center of the city
of Syracuse, although not in the geographical center. The oldest part of the
city, it has always been a focal point of Syracuse. It is located at the east
end of Syracuse and separated from the main part of the city by a narrow
channel. In the 6th century BC, an artificial isthmus (embankment) connected
the island of Ortygia with the opposite promontory of the internal district of
Acradina on the mainland part of Syracuse. However, Ortygia is now linked to
the mainland part of the city by two small bridges (Ponte Umbertino and Ponte
Santa Lucia).
The one-square-km island stretches from north to south, between the wide inlet of the Porto Grande (Large Port) to the southwest, the open sea to the east, and the Porto Piccolo (Small Port) to the northeast, ending in the south in a narrow peninsula on which stands the massive Maniace Castle.
Due to its geographical position and the presence of waters and springs, this island was the object of conquest by various dominations that succeeded each other: the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Pisans, Genoese, Swabians, Angevins, Spanish (Aragonese and Castilians), Habsburgs, Bourbons, and Austrians. Being an island just off the coast, it was easily transformed into a natural fortress.
When Greek Corinthians founded the colony of Syracuse in 734 BC, they landed in Ortygia, defeated the Sicilians, and discovered the Porto Grande, a Mediterranean port with a rare feature, a narrow channel connecting it with the nearby Porto Piccolo. The island of Ortygia was the most defensible natural fortress, bounded by sea cliffs. The Greek colonists further fortified it.
In 1536, the King of Spain transformed the island into one of the most powerful Mediterranean rocchaforti (Italian for strongholds, fortresses). It was a stronghold until the end of the 19th century.
The island was large enough to hold a significant population in ancient times. It now has a population of 4,725, compared with 5,994 in 1991, 12,000 in 1970, and nearly 23,000 in 1967.
The one-square-km island stretches from north to south, between the wide inlet of the Porto Grande (Large Port) to the southwest, the open sea to the east, and the Porto Piccolo (Small Port) to the northeast, ending in the south in a narrow peninsula on which stands the massive Maniace Castle.
Due to its geographical position and the presence of waters and springs, this island was the object of conquest by various dominations that succeeded each other: the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans, Pisans, Genoese, Swabians, Angevins, Spanish (Aragonese and Castilians), Habsburgs, Bourbons, and Austrians. Being an island just off the coast, it was easily transformed into a natural fortress.
When Greek Corinthians founded the colony of Syracuse in 734 BC, they landed in Ortygia, defeated the Sicilians, and discovered the Porto Grande, a Mediterranean port with a rare feature, a narrow channel connecting it with the nearby Porto Piccolo. The island of Ortygia was the most defensible natural fortress, bounded by sea cliffs. The Greek colonists further fortified it.
In 1536, the King of Spain transformed the island into one of the most powerful Mediterranean rocchaforti (Italian for strongholds, fortresses). It was a stronghold until the end of the 19th century.
The island was large enough to hold a significant population in ancient times. It now has a population of 4,725, compared with 5,994 in 1991, 12,000 in 1970, and nearly 23,000 in 1967.
MT 2:10 PM - Ortygia: view, from Largo Aretusa, of MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) cruise ship and smaller boats in Porto Grande harbor (mild telephoto 43 mm).
MT 3:12 PM - Ortygia: MT on pier near Largo Aretusa, with "Guardia Cosa" (Coast Guard) boat in background.
MT 3:14 PM - Ortygia: Don on pier near Largo Aretusa, with MSC cruise ship in background.
3:13 PM - Ortygia: view, from Largo Aretusa, of MSC cruise ship in Porto Grande harbor.
3:14 PM - Ortygia: fortified wall near Largo Aretusa, on Porto Grande harbor.
MT 3:16 PM - Ortygia: view, from Largo Aretusa, of fortified wall (mild telephoto 70 mm).
After lunch, we still had some time to look around Largo Aretusa before the cruise. Although we missed looking for the famous Fountain of Aretusa, we enjoyed the shade of banyan trees in a small park.
Largo
Aretusa
is on the Passeggio Aretusa pedestrian promenade along the Porto Grande. The Fonte
Aretusa (Fountain of Arethusa), down the winding main street from the Cathedral
in Ortygia, is a natural spring. In ancient times, it was the city’s main water
supply. According to Greek mythology, this freshwater fountain is the place
where the nymph Arethusa, the patron figure of ancient Syracuse, returned to
the Earth’s surface after escaping from her undersea home in Arcadia. She fled
from Greece, into the sea, with the river god Alpheus in close pursuit, and
emerged in Sicily. After the long chase, Aretusa prayed to the Goddess Artemis
for help. According to legend, Artemis transformed her beautiful handmaiden
Aretusa into a spring to protect her from the unwelcome attention of Alpheus. You
can look down on the fountain from Largo Aretusa. The Largo Aretusa was
adjacent to the Fonte Aretusa, which is outside the fortified walls.
3:44 PM - Ortygia: Largo Aretusa - park with banyan trees.
3:45 PM - Ortygia: Largo Aretusa - one of the larger banyan trees.
The man at the ticket booth for the boat excursion said that, due to turbulent waters, the boat tour would not go under bridges or into grottos.
3:54 PM - Ortygia: Porto Grande - our cruise boat of the "Dolci Escursioni" (Sweet Excursions) company, with captain at rear and man in blue shirt, from ticket booth, followed by French couple ready to board; MSC cruise ship and smaller "Mariella" in background.
3:57 PM - Ortygia: Porto Grande - looking back to blue "Mariella" boat where we left the dock; visible in the distance just to the left of "Mariella" is the Ponte Santa Lucia bridge that connects Ortygia with mainland Syracuse.
MT 3:58 PM - Ortygia: Porto Grande - our captain as we left the dock.
3:59 PM - Ortygia: town on west coast near where we started, with three young Italian ladies in foreground.
3:59 PM - Ortygia: more of town on west coast just to south of where we started.
MT 4:00 PM - Ortygia: apse and cupola of Chiesa di San Giuseppe e Sant'Ignazio di Loyola, also known as Chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti, near west coast just to south of where we started (telephoto 129 mm).
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Ortygia: Chiesa di San Giuseppe e Sant'Ignazio di Loyola, view from Palazzo Vermexio, near Cathedral (Di Effems - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83982874).
The
Chiesa di San Giuseppe e Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (Church of St. Joseph
and St. Ignatius of Loyola), also known as Chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti (Church
of the College of the Jesuits), was built in 1635-87. The church has three
naves and two transepts to the right and left. Together with the Cathedral, it
is the largest church in Ortygia. From the nearby Marina district, it is
possible to admire the imposing apse of the church with its dome and the austere
wall of the Jesuit College (Convent), which stands behind the church.
The Jesuit complex stands on an area once partially occupied by the ancient Chiesa di San Giuseppi dei Bottari (Church of St. Joseph of the Shipwrights), so named because of shipwrights working in the nearby port, and since St. Joseph the carpenter was the patron of shipwrights. When the Jesuits arrived in Syracuse in 1554, they were assigned to the Church of St. Joseph, which was later demolished. In place of the old church, they built their own in Baroque style. The new church was also dedicated to St. Joseph, but also to St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. The complex was restored after the earthquake of 1693, moving the entrance from Via dell’Amalfitania to the current Via Landolina. The Jesuits were expelled from the Kingdom of Naples and Syracuse in 1767 and returned after 70 years in 1837, using only one floor of their boarding school until 1860, when the State Property requisitioned the building, using it first as a court and then as the Intendency of Finance, Registry Office, and Mortgage Conservation.
As of 2023, the church had been closed for over 40 years, while further restoration works are underway to both the church and the Jesuit College.
The Jesuit complex stands on an area once partially occupied by the ancient Chiesa di San Giuseppi dei Bottari (Church of St. Joseph of the Shipwrights), so named because of shipwrights working in the nearby port, and since St. Joseph the carpenter was the patron of shipwrights. When the Jesuits arrived in Syracuse in 1554, they were assigned to the Church of St. Joseph, which was later demolished. In place of the old church, they built their own in Baroque style. The new church was also dedicated to St. Joseph, but also to St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. The complex was restored after the earthquake of 1693, moving the entrance from Via dell’Amalfitania to the current Via Landolina. The Jesuits were expelled from the Kingdom of Naples and Syracuse in 1767 and returned after 70 years in 1837, using only one floor of their boarding school until 1860, when the State Property requisitioned the building, using it first as a court and then as the Intendency of Finance, Registry Office, and Mortgage Conservation.
As of 2023, the church had been closed for over 40 years, while further restoration works are underway to both the church and the Jesuit College.
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Ortygia: Chiesa di San Giuseppe e Sant'Ignazio di Loyola: Baroque façade (Di Codas - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145139967).
4:00 PM - Ortygia: more of west coast to south, all the way to Castello Maniace at the southern tip.
MT 4:02 PM - Ortygia: city wall and waterfront promenade (Foro Vittorio Emanuele II) on two levels (mild telephoto 69 mm).
MT 4:01 PM - Ortygia: more of city wall and Castello Maniace (telephoto 90 mm).
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Ortygia: drawing of Castello Maniace from 1630 (Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1001319).
The present castle was built in the 13th century, when the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II (Friedrich II)*, as King of Sicily, had his architect Riccardo da Lentini build a new castle, constructed in 1232-1240. Frederick wanted four towers at the corners, like the castle in Brindisi that he had built in 1227-33.
The castle was later named after Giorgio Maniace, a Byzantine general who recaptured the city in 1038 AD and defeated the Arabs for a short period. (The Arabs had conquered and sacked Syracuse in 879 AD and it was finally freed of Arab domination in 1085.) A fortress built by Giorgio Maniace had previously stood here.
The castle was damaged by the 1693 earthquake and other events. In 1704, a powder magazine in the castle exploded, destroying a large part of the castle’s interior. After that, the castle was renovated and adapted to the use of guns. Today, only one of the four towers at the corners of the castle is visible.
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Ortygia: Castello Maniace (By Holger Uwe Schmitt - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129451829).
*Many Internet sources say that Maniace Castle was ordered built by “Frederick II of Swabia” or “Frederick II, Duke of Swabia.” This results from the fact that Frederick, of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II in 1220-50, but also King of Sicily from 1198 to 1250 and Duke of Swabia (as Frederick VII of that line) in 1212-1216. Therefore, he was not Duke of Swabia at the time Maniace Castle was built in 1232-1240, but he was a Swabian. During the period lasting from 1194 until 1266, Sicily was ruled by Swabians of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Further confusion could be due to the fact that there was actually a Frederick II, Duke of Swabia, from 1105 to 1147, a century before the castle was built.
4:05 PM - Ortygia: Lara and Chiara as we passed west side of Castello Maniace.
MT 4:05 PM - Ortygia: west side of Castello Maniace (mild telephoto 68 mm).
4:06 PM - Ortygia: French couple and Lara as we passed the end of Castello Maniace, showing a green lighthouse on one corner; MSC cruise ship in left background.
4:08 PM - Ortygia: other, east side of Castello Maniace, with two of the Italians in the foreground.
4:09 PM - Ortygia: east side, past Castello Maniace, with three Italians in the foreground.
4:10 PM - Ortygia: east side, as we headed toward Forte Vigliena bastion on the next corner of the coast, with two of the Italians in the foreground.
4:11 PM - Ortygia: east side, as we got closer to Forte Vigliena bastion on the next corner of the coast, with Lara, Chiara, and one of the Italians in the foreground.
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4:10 PM (Cropped) - Ortygia: Forte Vigliena bastion.
MT 4:12 PM - Ortygia: Forte Vigliena bastion (telephoto 124 mm).
Forte
Vigliena
is a stone bastion overlooking the Ionian Sea. It was used by the Syracusans to
defend themselves against pirate invasions.
4:14 PM - Ortygia: east side, past that corner of the coast, with spire of a modern church, Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime, in the distance and one of the Italians in the foreground.
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4:14 PM (Cropped) - Ortygia: Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime.
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Ortygia: spired-domed Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime (By Simone Tinella - Own
work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=113488564).
The Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime (Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Tears) is a mega Catholic church built as a shrine after a plaster plaque of the Madonna was proved to be shedding tears. In 1953, a newly married couple saw tears running down the face of a plaque of the Virgin Mary they had received as a wedding present. The event was putatively observed by crowds, and chemical analysis of the tears at that time confirmed them as real human tears. This is the only “weeping Madonna” recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. Construction of the shrine to house the plaque was begun in 1966 but was not completed until 1994. The church was consecrated in 1994 by Pope John Paul II, who elevated the sanctuary to the status of a minor basilica in 2002. The original home of the owners of the Madonna is inside the church. The modern building with a 103-meter-high spire, possibly shaped like a huge tent or a giant teardrop impacting the earth but derided by some as an inverted ice cream cone, dominates the skyline of Ortygia.
4:16 PM - Ortygia: one of the Italians, with spire of Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime in the distance and Chiara and one of the Italians in the foreground.
4:17 PM - Ortygia: sailboats farther around that coast, with and one of the Italians in the foreground.
4:19 PM - Ortygia: cliffs farther around that coast, with and one of the Italians in the foreground.
MT 4:20 PM - Ortygia: Lara and Chiara, farther around that coast, with spire of Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime in the background.
4:21 PM - Ortygia: closer view of cliffs, with Italians in the foreground.
4:21 PM - Ortygia: starting to see small caves (grottos) in cliffs, with one of the Italians in the foreground.
4:22 PM - Ortygia: large grotto and two smaller ones in cliffs, with Chiara in the foreground.
At this time, our boat captain first reminded us that we would not be able to visit the grottos. However, when the passengers expressed disappointment, he said he would try to take us close to a grotto but not inside it.
4:23 PM - Ortygia: heading toward the large grotto and two smaller ones in cliffs, with two Italians in the foreground.
4:23 PM - Ortygia: still closer to the large grotto and two smaller ones in cliffs, with two Italians in the foreground.
MT 4:24 PM - Ortygia: still closer to the large grotto and two smaller ones in cliffs (mild telephoto 63 mm).
MT 4:25 PM - Ortygia: our captain heading away from the large grotto and two smaller ones in cliffs.
4:25 PM - Ortygia: drifting farther from the large grotto and one smaller one in cliffs, with Lara, Chiara, and French lady in foreground.
4:25 PM - Ortygia: drifting farther from the large grotto and one smaller one in cliffs, with happy Lara and Chiara in foreground.
4:26 PM - Ortygia: waves crashing on cliffs ahead, with Italians in foreground.
4:27 PM - Ortygia: first sighting of more grottos ahead with waves crashing on cliffs, also first sighting of small island off coast on horizon at far right (captain said something about "gorilla ahead"), with Italians in foreground.
4:27 PM - Ortygia: closer to grottos ahead, with Italians in foreground.
MT 4:28 PM - Ortygia: one of those grottos, heart-shaped (mild telephoto 65 mm).
4:28 PM - Ortygia: given the large waves, Don wondered if this white chest at our feet might contain life jackets.
4:28 PM - Ortygia: waves crashing on cliffs, with "Gorilla Island" on horizon and French couple, Lara, and Chiara in foreground.
4:28 PM - Ortygia: approaching large grotto with stalactites, with waves crashing on cliffs.
As the captain took us close to the mouth of the large grotto, it sounded like our motor hit something, and he said he could no longer steer the boat.
4:29 PM - Ortygia: view of Gorilla Island on horizon.
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4:29 PM (Cropped) - Ortygia: view of Gorilla Island on horizon.
This was our closest photo of the island shaped like a gorilla, since we were preoccupied with the problem with our boat.
To keep the wind from blowing us farther off course, the captain had rolled back the canvas top of our boat.
After a long time of drifting around, the captain was able to steer the boat "by hand" a bit with his arm down over the back of the boat. In the meantime, he had called on his radio phone for help. Finally, another boat of the "Dolci Escursioni" company came to our aid. The two captains attached a rope so the other boat could tow ours.
MT 4:49 PM - Ortygia: our boat being towed by the other boat as we neared Porto Piccolo (mild telephoto 48 mm).
Then we arrived at Porto Piccolo.
The
Porto Piccolo (Small Port), also known as Porto Marmoreo, is a small boat
harbor on the northeast side of Ortygia. (another source says it is located in
the old port of Syracuse, east of the island of Ortygia) In the 6th century BC,
this port was separated from the southwestern Porto Grande by an artificial
isthmus to connect the island of Ortygia with the opposite promontory of the
internal district of Acradina. The harbor moorings are operated by five
different private marinas.
5:05 PM - Ortygia: with the canvas top rolled back, our captain detaching the rope from the bow of our boat after towing by the other boat; at Porto Piccolo with Ponte Umbertino bridge in distance at left.
The two captains lashed the two boats together side-by-side, so that we could get on the other boat.
MT 5:09 PM - Ortygia: other captain with the two boats lashed together, just before we boarded the other boat.
5:16 PM - Ortygia: captain of the other boat, after we boarded it.
They towed our original boat until it found a dock for it in Porto Piccolo or the dock channel. Then we continued on our new boat.
MT 5:13 PM - Ortygia: view, over bow of the new boat, as we entered the dock channel between Porto Piccolo and Porto Grande.
5:17 PM - Ortygia: view, over bow of the new boat, as we entered the channel between Porto Piccolo and Porto Grande, with Ponte Umbertino bridge ahead.
MT 5:19 PM - Ortygia: Ponte Umbertino bridge ahead (telephoto 133 mm).
Although the man at the ticket booth had said that our tour would not go under the bridges, this was the shortest way to get back to where we had started the cruise.
As we got ready to go under the low bridge, the captain folded down the metal frame for supporting the canvas top of the boat. He told us all to lie down very flat, especially the "man with the beret" (meaning Don with his hat).
5:19 PM - Ortygia: Lara, our new captain, and French couple after we had passed under the Ponte Umbertino bridge.
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Ortygia: Ponte Umbertino (By trolvag – Own Work at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ponte_Umbertino,_Ortygia,_Syracuse,_Province_of_Syracuse,_Sicily,_Italy_-_panoramio.jpg).
The Ponte Umbertino (Umbertino Bridge), dating from around 1850, is the main bridge connecting the island of Ortygia with the rest of Syracuse. It is an extension of the Corso Umberto street that leads from the bridge into the 19th-century neighborhoods of Syracuse. The bridge takes its name from Umberto I, the ruler of Italy at the time it was built, after the previously existing Spanish fortifications that had stood here had been demolished. The Umbertino Bridge is made of stone and rests on an artificial island that is the only remaining vestige of the Spanish bastion that had previously stood here to defend the island. Large white stone pillars form the arches. At the top stand neoclassical balustrades interspersed with wrought iron lampposts. This is the easternmost of the two bridges.
We also had to pass under the Ponte Santa Lucia bridge.
5:19 PM - Ortygia: approaching Ponte Santa Lucia bridge.
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Ortygia: Ponte Santa Lucia (By Stella - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83517192).
5:21 PM - Ortygia: nearing the Porto Grande harbor from which we started.
5:38 PM - Ortygia: sign for restaurant named "Zenzero."
Then
we drove back to our Borgo de Luce I Monasteri hotel with many wrong turns
trying to follow GPS through Floridia.
The Duomo
de Siracusa (Cathedral of Syracuse), formally the Cattedrale metropolitana
della Nativitá di Maria Santissima (Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of Most
Holy Mary), is located on the Piazza Duomo (Cathedral Square) on the island of
Ortygia. Its structure was originally a Greek Doric temple with 6 columns on
the short sides and 14 on the long sides.
The origins of a temple on this site date back to the Greek Temple of Athena built in 590-580 BC, which was a Doric edifice. When the present cathedral was built in the 7th century AD the battered Doric columns of the original temple were incorporated in the walls of the current church. They can be seen inside and out. The columns are about 30 ft high and 2.5 ft in diameter. The cathedral was constructed by closing the spaces between the columns of Temple of Athena, which in this way has survived virtually intact.
The building was converted into a mosque in 878, then converted back into a church when the Normans retook the city in 1085. The roof of the nave is of Norman origin, as well as the mosaics in the apses.
After the earthquake of 1693, the cathedral was rebuilt, and the façade was redesigned in the High Sicilian Baroque style in 1725-73. The statues (from 1757) on the upper level of the façade include St. Marziano (Marcian, Marciano, Marcianus, Martianus), martyred 6th-century bishop of Syracuse, on the left; the Virgin Mary (as Our Lady of the Pillar*), in a niche between two columns in the center; and St. Lucia (Lucy), the patron saint of Syracuse, on the right. The base of the façade is flanked by statues of St. Paul, who once spent three days in Syracuse on his way to Rome, on the left and St. Peter on the right.
To the north (left) of the Cathedral façade on the Piazza Duomo is the Palazzo Municipale (Palazzo Senatoriale), home to the Syracuse city council. It was built in 1629-1633 in Baroque style with design by the Spanish architect Giovanni Vermexio. Therefore, it is sometimes also called Palazzo Vermixo.
Adjacent to the south (right) of the cathedral façade on the Piazza Duomo is the Palazzo Arcivescovile (Archbishop’s Palace). The original building was a palace of the Swabian era, built during the time of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, around the early 13th century. The palace underwent important changes in the Aragonese era. After the demolition of the first building, the current structure was commissioned by the Spanish bishop of Syracuse, and the work began in 1618. The structure of the Archbishop’s Palace seen today is the result of systematic restorations during the 18th and 19th centuries, which transformed the building into a late Baroque style palace tending toward neoclassicism. The building was inaugurated in 1854.
____________
*Our Lady of the Pillar is one of the oldest names for the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, when the mother of Jesus was still living in Jerusalem, she supernaturally appeared to St. James the Greater in 40 AD, while he was evangelizing in what is now Spain. He saw her arrive in mortal flesh on the banks of the Ebro River, accompanied by a group of angels carrying a column. Those who adhere to this belief consider this appearance to be the only recorded instance of Mary exhibiting the mystical phenomenon of bilocation. The apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar was accepted as canonical by Pope Innocent XIII in 1723. Among Catholics, it is considered the first Marian apparition, and unique because it happened while Mary was still living on Earth.
____________
The origins of a temple on this site date back to the Greek Temple of Athena built in 590-580 BC, which was a Doric edifice. When the present cathedral was built in the 7th century AD the battered Doric columns of the original temple were incorporated in the walls of the current church. They can be seen inside and out. The columns are about 30 ft high and 2.5 ft in diameter. The cathedral was constructed by closing the spaces between the columns of Temple of Athena, which in this way has survived virtually intact.
The building was converted into a mosque in 878, then converted back into a church when the Normans retook the city in 1085. The roof of the nave is of Norman origin, as well as the mosaics in the apses.
After the earthquake of 1693, the cathedral was rebuilt, and the façade was redesigned in the High Sicilian Baroque style in 1725-73. The statues (from 1757) on the upper level of the façade include St. Marziano (Marcian, Marciano, Marcianus, Martianus), martyred 6th-century bishop of Syracuse, on the left; the Virgin Mary (as Our Lady of the Pillar*), in a niche between two columns in the center; and St. Lucia (Lucy), the patron saint of Syracuse, on the right. The base of the façade is flanked by statues of St. Paul, who once spent three days in Syracuse on his way to Rome, on the left and St. Peter on the right.
To the north (left) of the Cathedral façade on the Piazza Duomo is the Palazzo Municipale (Palazzo Senatoriale), home to the Syracuse city council. It was built in 1629-1633 in Baroque style with design by the Spanish architect Giovanni Vermexio. Therefore, it is sometimes also called Palazzo Vermixo.
Adjacent to the south (right) of the cathedral façade on the Piazza Duomo is the Palazzo Arcivescovile (Archbishop’s Palace). The original building was a palace of the Swabian era, built during the time of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, around the early 13th century. The palace underwent important changes in the Aragonese era. After the demolition of the first building, the current structure was commissioned by the Spanish bishop of Syracuse, and the work began in 1618. The structure of the Archbishop’s Palace seen today is the result of systematic restorations during the 18th and 19th centuries, which transformed the building into a late Baroque style palace tending toward neoclassicism. The building was inaugurated in 1854.
____________
*Our Lady of the Pillar is one of the oldest names for the Virgin Mary. According to tradition, when the mother of Jesus was still living in Jerusalem, she supernaturally appeared to St. James the Greater in 40 AD, while he was evangelizing in what is now Spain. He saw her arrive in mortal flesh on the banks of the Ebro River, accompanied by a group of angels carrying a column. Those who adhere to this belief consider this appearance to be the only recorded instance of Mary exhibiting the mystical phenomenon of bilocation. The apparition of Our Lady of the Pillar was accepted as canonical by Pope Innocent XIII in 1723. Among Catholics, it is considered the first Marian apparition, and unique because it happened while Mary was still living on Earth.
____________
2005 Ortygia: Cathedral – façade with statues of St. Paul on left of steps and St. Peter
on right; Palazzo Municipale to left of Cathedral and Palazzo
Arcivescovile to right, also facing Piazza Duomo (Cathedral Square).
2005 Ortygia: Cathedral – top of façade, with statues of St. Marziano to left,
Our Lady of the Pillar in the center niche, and St. Lucia on right.
2005 Ortygia: Cathedral – Doric columns on north exterior.
2005 Ortygia: Cathedral – ambulatory with Doric columns on interior side of wall.
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