Hello from Sicily - An Excursion into Antiquity:
Siracusa
Finally, my first day of beautiful weather in Sicily, a perfect
day for an out-of-town excursion. I started my day with a nourishing
breakfast on the terrace of Hotel
Villa Nettuno and I have to say of all the places I have travelled
to, the view from this terrace and the garden itself must be one
of the most beautiful vistas I have ever enjoyed anywhere. Maria
Sciglio, who is in her 80s, takes such amazing care of this garden
which is a virtual sub-tropical paradise. I was savouring every
minute of my morning meal which included a fresh croissant, coffee,
tea or hot chocolate, and a fresh Italian bun with jams and honey.
Breakfast on the beautiful terrace of Hotel Villa Nettuno
I was certainly ready to take on the day and began my 7-minute
stroll to the Babilonia
Language School. The Piazza Corvaja was already starting to
fill up with people and the beauty of Taormina in the gorgeous blue
sunshine was dazzling my eyes. Bright and early at eight am thirteen
people were waiting in front of the school, and our activities coordinator
Peppe walked just a few steps east to a local car rental to pick
up two rented vehicles: a minibus and a small car. Our little Fiat
Panda was rather cozy for five people, but that’s definitely
something you need to get used to. Most things in Europe, including
cars, a just a bit smaller than in North America.
A bougainvillea from the hotel garden
We enjoyed a pleasant ride, exchanging stories from Switzerland,
Germany, Holland and Canada, and about two and a half hours later
we arrived at the Neapolis Archeological Zone in Siracusa, or Syracuse
as it is known in English. For almost 3000 years Syracuse has been
a major economic centre and has been inhabited since prehistoric
times. The Corynthians founded this Greek city and it holds some
of the best-preserved Greek archeological treasures in the world.
We got out of our vehicles and I noticed right away that this place
was going to be rather crowded; not surprisingly, since a lot of
people would make an excursion to a major archeological sites on
a beautiful Saturday morning.
The "Orrechio di Dionysio"
The entrance free to the archeological complex was covered by the
Babilonia
excursion and in we walked through the turnstiles. Our first archeological
sight were the so-called Latomie, which are ancient stone quarries
that provided the stone for many of the Greek monuments. At various
times they were also used as prisons. The most impressive man-made
cave in this area is the so-called Orrechio di Dionisio (“Ear
of Dionysius”), which, as legend has it, allowed the local
tyrant Dionysius to hear the whispers of the prisoners that were
held in its depth. The shape of the cave is indeed faintly reminiscent
of an ear and when the wind was blowing in the right direction during
theatrical performances, a choir positioned in the cave could be
heard in the Greek amphitheatre on the other side of the rock.
The Ancient Greek Theatre of Syracusa
Another adjacent cave, the Grotta dei Cordari (Grotto of the Ropemakers)
is not publicly accessible right now due to falling rocks, but it
was used until recently for ropemaking. We then walked over to the
Greek Theatre which was designed in the 5th century B.C. Many of
the great ancient Greek playwrights wrote and staged their plays
in this amazing setting.
Part of the quarries in the Neapolis Archeological Zone
Peppe explained that the ancient Greeks always built their theatres
in stunning natural environments. Greek theatres were generally
built as a semicircle into a mountain with a gorgeous view of a
mountain range (Mount Etna for example,
in Taormina), or the sea. Greek
dramas would be performed in the late afternoon so the performance
would coincide with the sunset. Of all the ancient civilizations
that had invaded Sicily, Peppe explained that the Greeks had the
greatest appreciation for nature.
The grain storage areas
Many of the original stones of the Greek Theatre were taken at
the order of Emperor Charles V in the 1500s in order to build the
walls around Ortygia, an island that forms part of downtown Siracusa.
Every year in the months of May / June a theatre festival is held
in Siracusa’s Greek Theatre that features Greek Tragedies
as part of the Teatro Greco di Siracusa. This year’s festival
theatre is scheduled for May 10 to June 25, 2007. Surrounding the
Greek Theatre are rocks with cavities that were used for grain storage
as well as burial sites.
We passed by the “Altar of Hieron II”: a sacrificial
site where 400 bulls were sacrificed at one time. In addition to
ancient Greek treasures, this archeological zone also holds Roman
ruins: the Roman Amphitheatre was used for beastly fights. Peppe
explained that these were not professional gladiators, but rather
slaves that were being made to fight wild animals, mostly dogs.
In antiquity Sicily was often used as a prison site, and prisoners
were also often used in these spectacles. The underground holding
areas and corridors for the animals and the gladiators can still
be clearly seen.
The Roman Amphitheatre - location of many gladiator fights
After our visit to this extensive archeological zone we got into
our vehicles and drove downtown. We parked our car on the Piazza
della Posta next the waterfront and two minutes away we had a chance
to explore the local market. All the local delicacies were awaiting,
from all different kinds of fish to squid to shellfish to local
vegetables and fruits. The displays were definitely a feast for
the eyes, (for the nose not so much, at least the fishy part…).
Ready to make fish soup?
From there we strolled past the Temple of Apollo on the Piazza
Pancali, which provides the entrance to the island of Ortygia. This
ancient temple, dating back to the 6th century B.C., was discovered
in 1860 in the old Spanish army barracks. Through narrow streets
with many Baroque buildings we arrived at the Piazza Duomo which
features Syracuse’s cathedral, dedicated to Santa Lucia.
Photogenic squid
An imposing building with a beautifully detailed façade,
this building impresses not just because of its size, but because
of the ancient interior Greek columns that used to form part of
a monument dedicated to Athena. Peppe pointed out that some of the
columns are standing at a slight angle as the result of a major
earthquake.
The impressive Duomo of Siracusa
These columns also date back to the 6th century B.C. and are some
of the most well-preserved ancient Greek columns in the world. The
Duomo evolved from being a temple to becoming a Christian Church,
at one point it became a Muslim mosque and today’s incarnation
is a stunning example of Sicilian Baroque architecture.
Fountain in downtown Siracusa
After all these explorations it was definitely time for lunch and
Peppe guided us to a local restaurant, located in a beautiful courtyard
off a small street that served simple local fish and pasta dishes.
Vines were hanging down on us from trellises and the shade provided
by the surrounding walls provided a welcome opportunity to cool
off on this warm spring day.
Lunch in an old courtyard
Appropriately strengthened our group headed out again and after
passing through the old Arab Gate we explored an area called Lungomare
Ortigia which features a beautiful piazza that faces out onto the
waterfront. The Fonte Aretusa, a fountain that has been providing
spring water since ancient times, faces the Porto Grande or Grand
Harbour. The view across the water and down the waterfront promenade
is simply precious.
Siracusa's waterfront
This was a perfect time for some Sicilian gelato and off I went
to grab a cone of delicious “nocciola” (hazelnut) and
refreshing “limone” gelato. We strolled along the waterfront
promenade and then headed into the old town again to walk in the
shady narrow streets that are adorned by a myriad of unique balconies.
We passed by Siracusa’s opera house which has actually been
abandoned since the 1960s and was in disrepair. Despite its baroque
beauty, Siracusa’s downtown streets and alleyways had a bit
of a deserted feel to them.
One of the balconies in Siracusa
We headed back to our vehicles and drove into the countryside just
outside Siracusa. Our final destination for the day was the “Castello
Eurialo”, an ancient Greek fortification built on a hilltop
in 402 B.C. by Dionysius the Elder. It featured two moats and a
tower to protect the town of Syracuse and in its bowels it holds
an amazingly well-preserved series of tunnels. The view from the
castle is splendid, and to the north you can see one of the largest
petroleum-processing areas in all of Southern Italy. Ancient history and modern history can coexist quite nicely in Sicily.
Castello Eurialo
After a really full day we started our trek back to Taormina, and
sure enough, half an hour outside of town the skies started clouding
over and it started to drizzle. After this long day of discoveries
I was rather tired and had a quick meal in a local pizzeria, ready
for another day of exploration.