Editing pictures feels like such a luxury right now, after all the physical toil of the past couple of weeks. Full disclosure, I did spend part of the morning painting over damaged wall, fixing nets, you know, good shit. But now, I'm getting a chance to go through my photo log from our trip to Syracuse earlier this month, and it's exciting as hell.
Background
Located on the coast of Sicily, a little south from Catania, Siracusa is one in a long line of Italian cities initially taken over by Greeks. And in true human fashion, it wasn't long before the settling Greeks decreed themselves a higher class, and swiftly proceeded to work the locals to the bone. A tale as old as time itself.
This is actually why you can find a lot of temples (or rather, ruins of temples) dedicated to Greek gods (and not their Roman counterparts) here. The Corinthians who took over Siracusa and colonized it erected numerous statues and temples to their own Apollo, Athena, and so on.
Ortigia
Initially, the Greek settled on the small island of Ortigia, which was a favourable docking port for invading troops. However, it wasn't long before the invasive Greeks moved on to the Sicilian mainland, taking over quite a bit of land.
It's interesting, if you think about it. Although this small island was an initial loss to the invaders, it is now regarded as the high point of one's visit to Siracusa. Why? Because all the temples and castles and all these cool tourist things are there.
It's here, on this magnificent little island, that you'll find all the best eateries, wine shops, and of course, tourist gift shops. It's also the home of some important tourist attractions, such as the Temple of Apollo, the Maniace Castle and the Fonte Aretusa.
But most importantly, it's got food. Ice cream, croissants, cannoli. Dio mio.
Parco Archeologico Neapolis
Not to sell the rest of Siracusa short completely, though, there are quite a few wonders to explore "on the mainland". For one thing, one aspect I enjoyed about staying in main Siracusa was the quiet. While Ortigia is lovely, it's quite crowded (as most historical city centers tend to be), which can get pretty tiring quickly. I like to be able to have a nice coffee on the balcony in the morning, and not have to listen to cars or chattering tourists on the street beneath.
So there are some wonderful things to see on the mainland as well (not to mention all the lovely neighboring towns you can (and should) travel to.
One place I really enjoyed in Siracusa proper was the archaeological park of Neapolis, famous for a couple of attractions, most of all (I think) the Ear of Dionysius. While that might sound marvellous and bohemian and free, it's actually quite a gruesome story.
The Ear of Dionysius is a limestone cave that, as the name suggests, vaguely resembles an ear in shape, and that was christened by none other than Caravaggio. Initially, the cave was dug in ancient times as a space for water storage. However, what truly made it famous (giving it the second half of that name) was that during the despotic reign of Dionysius I, the cave was converted into a prison.
It's said the tyrant would tie his prisoners up inside the cave, and would then listen to what they whispered about him, thanks to the superb acoustics (and ensuing echo) of the cave.
In the cave, even now, you can find little holes in the wall that, if you say something into them, will echo across the entire giant cave. Quite fun.
Also here you can find the Anfiteatro Romano and the Teatro Greco, as well as get a pretty great view of the city of Syracuse, and the sea.
One thing that Siracusa lacks, sadly, is a proper beach. So if you're headed to Sicily on a summer trip, looking to take in the sun and swim, you'd probably be better suited staying somewhere else, and traveling to Siracusa on a day trip. Alternatively, Siracusa makes for an excellent home base as it's close to a lot of fun cities like Noto, Taormina, beach towns like Fontane Bianche, as well as the Catania Airport.
So yeah, that's pretty much a lot of words as an excuse to revisit some of my favorite Sicilan pics. Thanks for moving with me!