The guided tour of Syracuse will lead you to discover the historic centre located in Neapolis. Let’s begin at one of the two bridges connecting Neapolis to the mainland—the Umbertino Bridge—with a visit to the Temple of Apollo, dating back to 580 BC, the oldest Doric temple in all of Sicily. We continue into the heart of Neapolis, exploring Piazza Archimede, dedicated to the great Syracusan mathematician. Here, you’ll find the beautiful Diana Fountain—a fountain featuring a statue of the goddess of hunting in the centre, intent on protecting the nymph placed at her feet, surrounded by other statues of tritons, horses, and gargoyles.
As we stroll through the alleys, we reach Piazza della Minerva, made of white limestone with beautiful buildings overlooking the square. Continuing our guided tour towards the sea, we admire the Fonte Aretusa—an unusual mirror of fresh water inhabited by fish and ducks, with papyrus plants growing in its vicinity. A few metres away, we find the Alfeo seafront, where we conclude the first part of the visit—the oldest stretch of seafront in Neapolis. Here, you can admire the beauty of the sea surrounding Neapolis and the imposing Maniace Castle, a fortress dating back to the Swabian period, formerly used as a prison and military barracks.
Moving to the Archaeological Park of Neapolis, our visit starts at the Church of San Nicolò ai Cordari, dating back to the eleventh century. In the lower part, we find the Roman Pool—large water tanks carved into the rock with pipes that supplied water to the Roman amphitheatre for nautical games and water fights. The nearby Roman amphitheatre, dating back to the Augustus era, was used for various shows, the most famous being gladiator fights. It features an elliptical structure carved into the rock, spread over three levels.
Our guided tour continues with the Altar of Hieron—an immense altar dedicated to Zeus where bull sacrifices took place. Moving towards the Latomie del Paradiso—quarries used for stone extraction—we visit the most important one, the Ear of Dionysus. The cave is 23 metres high and is very impressive due to the exceptional echo inside it. We conclude the visit to Neapolis by admiring the beautiful Greek theatre carved into the stone—the most famous and important monument of the archaeological park—built by the Greeks and later renovated by the Romans
