A Trip to Sicily: Mainland Siracusa
The history of Siracusa dates back to the 8th century B.C. It was first settled by the Greeks, and then invaded by the waves of Arabs, Frankish people and Romans, among others.
It is not surprising then that Siracusa is a designated UNESCO heritage site. The city's finest archaeological treasure is its superb Archaeological Park of Neapolis, which includes a range of monuments: Greek theatre (Teatra Greco), Ampthitheatre, Altar of Hieron, and cave of “Orecchio di Dionisio”.
Teatro Greco is one of the finest and largest of its kind. Cut directly into the rock, it was enlarged and modified several times over the centuries, and is still in use today - Greek plays are performed here in May and June each year. On the day we visited, there were very few tourists and we almost had the entire site to ourselves. It was a very fine day as most of the days during our trip in Sicily. We felt the warmth of the sunshine on our faces, hearing only the birds chirping. We sat at the stairs of the theatre, taking in the breathtaking view of the theatre, the blue sky, and the surrounding. Without the aids of computers and modern machinery, the ancient Greeks had built a theatre that has lasted for thousands of years, and its acoustics are still functional today. It was such a humbling experience.
Up above the theatre is a low cliff with caves cut into it. One of them has a water feature, surrounded by ruins of statues where birds gather on the statues, drinking the cool fresh water coming from the springs. It is not hard to imagine how magnificent and beautiful the theatre and its surrounding were at their prime.
The quarry to the east of the theatre is called the Latomia del Paradiso (Paradise Quarry). The name Paradise suits the peaceful garden, filled with bushes, grass and lemon trees. The narrow tree-lined paths felt intimate and were such a stark contrast to the stony Greek theatre. However, the general appearance of the garden is not manicured or closely maintained, giving an otherworldly vibe.
The most famous and haunted sight here is the huge cave called the Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio di Dionisio). The exact time and nature of the origin of the cave is not clear. It is very possible that the cave was a work of nature at the beginning and was enlarged by the excavation for building material.
It was the painter Caravaggio who gave the name. Legend has it that the ancient Siracusa ruler Dionysius used to eavesdrop on his prisoners incarcerated here, thanks to the cave's acoustics. Apparently people’s voice echoes up to 16 times inside the cave.
Have to admit that caves always seem a bit scary. But this particular one is really eerie. The cave is massive, relatively deep and totally dark, with a winding “S” shape. It must have been the poor prisoners’ ghosts that give the haunted atmosphere of the cave.
We are not the only ones who were a bit scared. Just outside the cave, the owner of a border collie was trying to convince him that it would be OK to go into the cave. But the border collie was sitting firmly and unwilling to move forward!
As scary as it may be, it is truly a wonder and a much-visit site.
Siracusa may not have a skyscraper-packed skyline, but it does have a very modern church defining it.
The contemporary architecture of Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime began in 1966 and was completed only in 1994. It is supposed to be modelled by a tear drop. The unique shape and the height of the church make it visible from every angle (you can see the cone structure in the picture of the Greek theatre above).
Inside the building, the dome opens in all directions by lines of windows that create an elegant and luminous radial pattern. The concrete supporting columns feel organic, industrial and futuristic. It is definitely a different experience from the ancient ruins around.
If all the sightseeing makes you hungry, Gusto Gourmet Store is a perfect place to recharge. Gusto also has other locations in the old town of Siracusa, Ortigia, but the Gusto Gourmet Store in mainland Siracusa is definitely the flagship. It is a beautiful store and the merchandise is of high quality. There are full shelves of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a section of pastas, a full shelf of chocolate, a wine cellar, a panettone station, fresh vegetables and meats and other local produce, cheese, prepared food, drinks…
We were too excited and distracted by the delicious food to take any pictures. Barbara Campisi from Gusto is very kind to send these pictures over. Enjoy!
We were thrilled to be in this food wonderland, and a bit out of our depth at the same time given our very poor (close to none) Italian. Lucky for us, one of the owners, Barbara Campisi, came for the rescue. The Gusto chain is owned by the Campisi family. Barbara studies in London and speaks perfect English. She is attentive, patient and very friendly. She introduced us to the traditional Sicilian fish-shape bread that is only made in Christmas, picked out the perfect Panettone from Venice, recommended the freshly made seafood salad and caponata. It was a perfect Sicilian lunch curated by Barbara!
