Syracuse is a city that was founded as a Greek colony in 734 BC when the Greeks came to Sicily. The area was already inhabited by the Sickles, but the Greek Syracuse grew rapidly, and the city became in a few centuries one of the largest cities of the time, with an importance like, for example, Athens and Sparta. The ancient Greek start was on the island of Ortigia, but Syracuse spread to the mainland and grew there. Culturally, Syracuse was also one of the leading Greek cities, and great artists and thinkers worked here.

The expanding Roman Empire conquered Syracuse in 212 BC, and the city now became the capital of a Roman province. After the fall of Rome, the Vandals came, and later it was for several centuries under the rule of the Eastern Roman Empire, for a time under Emperor Constans II, Syracuse was even the seat of government for the kingdom. This was in the years 660-668.

Arabs conquered Sicily in the 8th century, and they made Palermo their regional capital. However, Syracuse became the cultural stronghold of Arab religiosity. This time lasted until 1038, when the Muslim Arabs were conquered by the Byzantine general Maniakes, and over the later centuries there were many dynasties and kingdoms that ruled the area. Historically, 1693 became a turning point for the city when, like other parts of Sicily, it was hit by a violent earthquake that destroyed large parts of the city, which was subsequently rebuilt in the baroque style of the time.

There are many sights in today’s Syracuse from different eras of the city’s history. The Temple of Apollo, Tempio di Apollo in Piazza Pancali, is one of the most impressive ancient Greek monuments in the city. Built in the Doric style in the 5th century BC, it was constructed like a classical peripteros, a classical temple that is surrounded by a row of columns. The temple was later converted into a Byzantine church, an Islamic mosque and again a church, before being used as barracks and for housing. The temple’s stylobate measures 55×21 meters, and the number of outer columns is 17 lengthwise and 6 across.

The Greek Theatre named Teatro Greco in Viale Paradiso was built in the 4th century BC and rebuilt under Hieron I in the 2nd century BC. It is well-preserved remains of this conversion that can be seen today. The theater was built as one of the largest Greek theaters of the time, with 67 rows divided into 9 sections. It is beautifully situated on a hill, and the stones for the facility were quarried in the area’s so-called latomìs. The best-known of these quarries is the Ear of Dionysus, Orecchio di Dionisio in Via Giuseppe Agnello, which in itself is a sight worth seeing with its 23 meters in height and 65 meters carved into the rock.

From Greek times you can visit see the tomb of the mathematician Archimedes at Via Giuseppe Agnello 26. He was killed in the Roman defeat of the Greek city of Syracuse in 212 BC and is said to have uttered the famous words: “Do not disturb my circles”.

In Syracuse there was also a Roman amphitheatre, Anfiteatro romano di Siracusa in today’s Viale Paradiso, which got its final design in the 200s and 300s. It was among the largest in the Italian area with dimensions of 140×119 meters. In the arena, gladiator fights and animal bouts were fought. It was cut out of the rock and later rebuilt on top with carved blocks that the Spanish reused elsewhere in the city in the 16th century. Despite the removal of parts of the structure, you can still see the impressive dimensions of the theater and imagine the battles that took place here.

The Duomo is the cathedral in Syracuse, and it was founded by Bishop Zosimo in the 6th century at the same place as an earlier Greek temple of Athena from the 4th century BC. The temple had 14 columns lengthwise and 6 across, and the structure can still be seen incorporated into the current church. The cathedral dates from many eras, the roof structure of the nave and the mosaics in the apse are from the Norman era, while the facade was rebuilt by Andrea Palma in 1725-1753.

Chiesa di Santa Lucia al Sepolcro at Piazza Santa Lucia square is another church, which was built as a Byzantine church. However, the current appearance dates from the 15th and 16th centuries. Interestingly, the church contains Saint Lucy’s tomb, it is in an octagonal chapel next to the church. Saint Lucy was a Christian virgin who died as a martyr in 304. She is the patron saint of Syracuse and is celebrated on Lucia Day on December 13. Italian Caravaggio painted the burial of Saint Lucy, Seppellimento di Santa Lucia, for this church in 1608. However, the artwork is today in Syracuse’s Chiesa di Santa Lucia alla Badia church at Piazza Duomo, a baroque church from the time after the 1693 earthquake.

Syracuse has defense works as well. Maniace Fortress or Castello Maniace is both a citadel and a residence, which was built under Emperor Fredrick II 1232-1240. It is named after the Byzantine general Maniakes, who defeated the Muslim Arabs in 1038 and thereby recaptured the city for Christian Europe. At the time, the fortress was like a sea fort, with access only over a moat that has now been filled. Over the years, Castello Maniace was used as the residence of several queens, and it was also part of the city’s defense.

Of museums, the archaeological Museo Archeologico is a good choice for a visit. The museum is one of the leading museums of its kind in Europe. Here, the highlights are finds from prehistory as well as from the city’s Greek and Roman periods. At the interesting museum, the rich collections are divided into themes from the different eras of history.

There are modern buildings as well, of which the church Chiesa Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime stands out. It is a pilgrimage church whose history began on 29 August 1953. Here, tears reportedly began to flow from a picture of a farmer. News of the miracle spread, and it ended with the Bishop of Palermo declaring the tears to be genuine and thereby allowing a place of pilgrimage to be built. The church was built from 1966 and was completed in 1994. The miraculous image was placed in the crypt, while a 74.50-meter-high concrete church rose above the ground. It stands today as one of Syracuse’s most characteristic buildings.