According to Titus Livy, Syracuse is the noblest and most beautiful of the Grecian cities and this is certainly no exaggeration.
Visiting Syracuse is a unique experience which cannot fail to enthral even the most hurried tourist, Not only does the city contain the majestic, monolithic Greek theatre, Dionysius' Ear and the Temple of Athena, as well as many other vestiges of the past representing some of its three thousand-year-old history, but it also preserves the rich and fascinating heritage left by varied civilisations, each of which has left its mark: in fact Syracuse has been Sicilian, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Norman, Swabian, Aragonese, Catalan,and Bourbon. Its Greek origins date back to 734 B.C. and already in the 5th century B.C the political and military influence of Syracuse spread all over the Mediterranean giving rise to numerous cities. For centuries it constituted a stronghold of Greek civilisation against the Carthaginians, the Etruscans and the Romans who conquered it in 212 B.C. There followed the Arab, Swabian and Aragonese domination.

What to See
The Archaelogical Museum. It is among the most important in the world; it is also conceived on modern lines. It is divided into three sections: Prehistoric, the Greek colonisation, and the sub colonies of Syracuse. Among the numerous important finds are the Venere Anadiomene and Dionysius' Ear, a cave in which the tyrant Dionysius shut his prisoners in order to hear their conversations - thanks to the cavern's particular shape which causes the amplification of sounds.
The Greek theatre is the most striking example of Greek civilisation in the west where, since 1914, the National Institute of Ancient Drama arranges performances of the Greek classics, from Sophocles and Aeschilus to Euripedes.
The Cordari grotto is a large, artificial hollow in the rock, whose roof, uneven but intact, leaning on fine pilasters, shows how in ancient times stone was excavated.
The temples of Apollo (7th century B.C.), Athena (5th century B.C), Zeus (5th century B.C). the Ara of Ierone (7th century B.C.) and the ancient Latomie.
The catacombs of Christian Syracuse are among the biggest catacombs in existence; it is possible that in the mediaeval crypt annexed to the catacomb of S. Giovanni, St. Lucia prayed, the virgin and martyr of Syracuse who suffered under the persecution of Diocletian.
The historic centre rises on the island of Ortigia through which three thousand years of Mediterranean civilisation in its most diverse expressions have passed.
At Ortigia one can follow three different itineraries; the sacred road, the decumano and the outside perimeter.
The splendid Baroque palaces, the imposing squares, and the stratification of centuries make Ortigia a unique and unforgettable sight.

To know more click on:
www.comune.siracusa.it
www.siracusanet.it