The Greek legacy
According to the Greek Myths Aeneas was a Greek from Troy in Asia Minor who settled at what would later become Rome. The story of the conquest of Troy happened around 1200 BC. The myth of Aeneas therefore might have been the analogue to a general Greek colonization movement in the towards the west and in particular Sicily.
The old port of Syracurse in 1985
In the centuries following the legend of Aeneas various Greek groups had settled in wide parts of coastal Sicily and what now is Basilicata, Calabria, Campania and Puglia. The colonies became to be known as Magna Graecia. The city of Syracuse was founded as a colony of Corinthians in 733 BC. The settlement soon became one of the most important Greek towns in Italy.
I had been on a short visit to Syracuse during a cycling trip around Sicily in 1985. At the time it was a neglected jewel full of dilapidated ruins. In the 1980s Sicily was in the grip of the Mafia. There were hardly any tourists. I want to go there again to see how it has changed.
Once again, I find myself thinking about everything that could go wrong on a journey that involves a taxi ride, three trains and a ferry. A lot, I think, and since the intended trip from Maratea to Syracuse will take the whole day I don’t reserve any stay at the destination in case something indeed goes wrong.
Not my train - in the station of Maratea
The taxi arrives early and I have plenty of time at the quiet little station in Maratea to reflect which of the two platforms which both serve track 2 would be the correct one. I stand at the platform which only serves track 2, together with two other tourists, while some others wait at the platform which both serves tracks 2 and 3. It turns out that the others are Italians from Southern Tyrolia and therefore both speak German and Italian. They don’t know more than myself about the departure platform. Going to the other platform would involve to carry the bags up and down the flights of stairs to the tunnel again. In the short time the train stops here it would be impossible to manage.
The beaches of Calabria
However, when train 5345 to Potenza eventually arrives right on time at 9.35 am the doors open on our side. I will take this empty train to Paola where I will have almost 2 hours to kill to catch the next connection to Villa San Giovanni. There would be an earlier connection by intercity but it requires a reservation. With my aversion of any reservations I prefer to take the later train. I will later regret that decision…..
A lot of tunnels were dug here to manage the coastal mountains. Upon upgrading and double tracking as described in the previous chapter a lot of the line was rerouted and completely rebuilt. I read signs of station names like Diamante, Belvedere or Colonia San Benedetto. Some names are more complicated. We stop at Praja-Ajeta-Tortora, Scalea-San Domenico-Talea, Guardia-Piemontese-Terme. Neat rows of beach chairs waiting for sun-lovers interchange for stretches of beach deserted for a single parasol providing shade for a lonely couple or a family.
After my arrival in Paolo at 10.39 I discover that I can leave my luggage for a small fee at the kiosk in the station. Relieved from my burden I can attempt to attack the slopes. The oldest parts of Paola built in the XI-XIII century are those highest up on the slope of the coastal mountain range. The medieval town was built two blocks lower in the XIII-XV century. Below are the baroque and modern parts. However, the origins of the town go back much further. This region also was part of Magna Graecia. Previously unknown Greek and Roman ruins are still discovered today and wait to be unearthed.
The entrance to the old town of Paola
From the run-down, soot-covered 19th and 20th century surroundings of the station a ramp overtopped by a gate leads to a terrace with a messy little park around a band pavilion and a dry fountain. It forms the lower limit of the old town and offers a commanding view up and down the coast.
Parc in Paola
A promenade leads from here to the Piazza de Populo where the medieval part of town begins. Cafes, ice cream parlors and restaurants line the street before the tired wanderer passes through the Porta "San Francesco di Paola" to reach the Piazza with a fountain and a church. San Francesco was an important saint who was named after San Francesco of Assisi. Paola also houses an enormous convent full of medieval art under his name. The devotion to San Francesco causes a steady stream of pilgrims visiting the town each year.
The promenade to the old town of Paola
Behind the Piazza de Populo the well-known, typical Italian maze of medieval narrow alleys and passages under arches starts. While the passage in north-south direction is relatively easy and flat there are only stairways towards the slope of the mountain which proceed to considerable heights. To improve accessibility for elderly and disabled many are equipped with chair lifts. Neatly dressed women disappear behind heavy gates which they are barely able to push open, into houses which I had taken for ruins.
Piazza de Populo in Paola
I always like reading the postings at real estate agents. For a three-room apartment with roof-top terrace, sea-view and lift you have to put down 69.000 € in Paola. A one-room apartment goes away for 19.000 €. In Rome similar places would go away for at least the ten-fold.
Stairs and stair lift in Paola
Together with Basilicata and Calabria, Paola had its most prosperous time in the 12.-13. century. A long decline followed. For the impoverished population the discovery of the Americas offered an alternative – emigration. One of the most popular countries was Argentina. Amongst those who emigrated were Francesco Sabato from Fuscaldo, just north of Paola, and Giovanna Maria Ferrari from San Martino di Finita, a small village in the remote interior of Calabria. They had 11 children. The 10th, born on June 24, 1911, was Ernesto. After adventures as communist and a career in physics which included stays at the Institute Marie Curie in Paris and at the MIT, he became a writer and artist. Ernesto Sabato would be the last of the great Argentinian writers. Although born in Argentina, Sabato had a strong connection to his Italian roots. In 1999 he acquired the Italian citizenship. He visited the city of Paola and after his death on April 30, 2011 the city honored him with a plaque in the little park at the base of the old town. The inscription reads: “The City of Paola pays tribute to ERNESTO SABATO, a writer of two worlds (Italy and Argentina), who, years ago, while visiting the city of Saint Francis, caught a glimpse of his own childhood and recalled - "before the end" - that this was the very place where his parents fell in love; then, gazing out at the sea, he bowed his head and wept.”
Arched passages in Paola
Paola would deserve a longer exploration. However, to reach Syracuse today I have to go back down to the station. Before departure there is time for a coffee in the typical station cafeteria. The girl behind the counter insists of carrying my consumption to the table. The room is decorated with a huge historic photo of the situation here in the great times of railroading. Most of the other tables are occupied by railway staff waiting for their next train.
Laundry basins in Paola
Paola is the station where the line inland to Cosenza branches off the coastal line from Battipaglia to Reggio di Calabria. Construction of this line started in 1907, but it was only finished in 1915. Inclines of 7.5% required a rack system Strub to master the mountain range between the cities. For security reason the engines always were at the downhill side of the train and therefore had to run around the train in the central adhesion section. Next to the steam engines, railcars were later used. They did not have a rack drive but a rack brake. This made passenger traffic much faster since it was not necessary to run around the train.
The cafeteria in the station of Paola
Such a line would have been closed down in other parts of Europe without replacement after world war II. Italy did not spare costs and by 1987 an entirely new line using a single track tunnel of 15.3 km long was built. Now electric trains can run through between Cosenza, Napoli or Reggio di Calabria. The new line also offers a fast connection between the east and west coast of Calabria and can be used as detour if there are works at the coastal line.
Intercity for Palermo and Syracuse entering the station of Paola
When train 5562 leaves Paola at 12.32 for Villa San Giovanni it follows the north coast of Calabria most of the time. Only between Pizzo and Rosarno, where the coast forms a peninsula to the north, another short-cut has been built in the 1970s. It required the excavation of long tunnels and the construction of the impressive Angitola Viaduct.
Track maintenance equipment along the line to Reggio di Calabria
There still is a big gap between the development of Southern Italy and the North. It cannot be the result of missing investment into infrastructure. Motorways were built and railway lines improved. The Government also tried to settle new industry here. One of the projects was to built an entirely new harbor at Gioia Tauro. From the train the ballet of cranes can be seen on the horizon.
Ballet of harbor cranes in Gioia Tauro
Calabria is the home of the ‘Ndrangheta, the local branch of the Mafia. Sanne de Boer has dedicated a chapter of her book “Mafiopoli” to Gioia Tauro. The family of Mommo Piromalli, the man at the top of the ‘Ndrangheta, had bought big pieces of land in the plain around Gioia Tauro to invest money earned from smuggling cigarettes. This was agricultural ground used to grow oranges and olives. The family was on very good terms with Guilio Andreotti, at the time minister of the “Cassa del Mezzogiono” which took care of the funds for the development of the area. Andreotti also was there for the laying of the foundation stone for the harbor. Just before he had met some members of the Piromalli family.
Entering the station of Gioia Tauro
It took 20 years to built the port, not an awful long time for an infrastructure project of the size, when you compare it to Germany or the Netherlands. It opened in 1994 with the idea to become the biggest port of the Mediterranean. First it became the Piromalli’s most important port for the import of Cocaine. They also pressed the port authority for a part of the gain and got 1.5 € for each container passing through. Soon that would be three million container units a year.
From the station to the beach
Although the grip of the ‘Ndrangheta on the port was such that even the US government started an investigation about security issues there, it was used for the import of 80 containers with poison gas found in the caves of Assad’s regime in Syria. The idea was to treat it and turn it into something innocent. It was handy that the ‘Ndrangheta clan just had heavily invested into waste management….. Handling and conversion of the 80 containers of mustard gas and sarin was without incident. It is unknown how much ended up in the terror pantries of other dictators.
First glimpses of Sicily
In 2025 Gioia Tauro handled 4.5 million containers. It has turned into the biggest container port in Italy. Even more, it has passed Barcelona and Piraeus and is now the third biggest container port in the Mediterranean after Valencia and Algeciras. In my view the Italian government did not do such a bad job, in particular if you compare it with such complete failures like Delfzijl in the Netherlands or the drama about the access to the port of Hamburg in Germany.
Passengers on the train to Reggio di Calabria
After Gioia Tauro we follow the coast again. Surrounded by fellow-passengers who could just as much travel in a tube since all of them are solidly absorbed to a screen producing some noisy rubbish I enjoy the sequence of beaches, small towns and rocky headlands. Some places like Scilla look beautiful enough to raise the urge to get out. After a while the coast of Sicily appears across the sea and 5562 arrives at Villa San Giovanni exactly on time at 14.36.
Waiting area for the ferry to Messina
In Villa San Giovanni I find a sign pointing to the “trajetto”, the ferry, which is supposed to leave every 30 minutes. When I get to the sea-side exit of the station a woman tells me that I first have to get a ticket. Of course the FS has a manned ticket counter here. But to get there it involves to go back up into the station building. Instead of selling me a ticket the lady behind the counter tells me to leave the station and walk along the coast, north. There neither is another sign nor any pedestrian walkway, I have to find my way between the street, parked cars and the well-known temporary construction fences which have become permanent a long time ago. The only confirmation that I am not terribly wrong is that there are a few other pedestrians aiming for the same direction.
The ferry is arriving
After passing through a tunnel I can see a ferry in the distance. It is a car ferry, not the railroad ferry. I arrive at a waiting area which gets some shade by a transparent roof. A vending machine and three blue high-table-with-chair combinations which offer seats for exactly six people are the luxury on offer. A handful of people with plenty of luggage wait for what is happening. What looks like a ticket-counter is closed. Somebody tells me that the ferry will depart at 15.20 and the tickets have to be bought after arrival in Messina.
Pedestrian access to the ferry
When the ferry arrives everybody rushes towards the ramp. The waiting area is at the other side of the driveway and foot-passengers are not allowed to cross the road after the debarkation and embarkation of the vehicles has started. The ferry is primarily for cars and trucks. You get the impression that foot-passengers are regarded a nuisance here. This clearly is not the rail-ferry which I wanted to use. I still have no idea how to use it without sitting on one of the trains which are shipped across the strait.
Elevator to the passenger deck
The trayetto takes 20 minutes. While I wait for getting off – the cars have preference – I talk to a guy on a motorcycle. He is from Estland and has got here in 12 days. Now he can start his way back…. A kind of interrail on a motorcycle.
The ferry
On solid ground again I have to join a queue to buy the ticket. I have no idea why they don’t sell tickets on the ferry. However, two manned counters are sufficient for all arriving passengers. At the other side of the gate are additional counters for those departing pedestrians. Nobody uses the ticket machines waiting for attention. After scanning the ticket I got for 3 € the automatic gate opens and I am released onto a busy road.
The car deck
With a bit of worry I have noticed that the arrival port of the car ferry is far north of the port Messina Maritima for the railway ferry and the station. On google it is a walking distance of 3.1 km along a busy road without public transport. In the middle of the street, right across the ferry terminal, I see a tram stop. It is obvious that the tram has not been used for a long time, the rails are complete but partially painted over by the road marking.
Ticket counter for the ferry in Messina
Between 1917 and 1951 Messina had a tram network. In 2003 a new, single line was opened covering a length of 7.78 km and 18 stops in approximately 40 minutes. It came with 15 modern Fiat Cityway trolleys. The get this the city had fished deeply in the EU subsidy pot. And as usual, nobody though about how to finance the subsequent operation of the tram. After a few years the line was run down. Lack of funds did not permit the purchase of spares parts. This forced a cannibalization of part of the fleet to keep the others running. In 2025 the line was entirely closed for rebuilding. Now, suddenly, there was enough money to restyle the station square which seems to require to reroute the tram stop to a location further away from the station building. The works will last for 18 month.
Former railway building in Messina
The city of Messina was in no way interested in continuing to operate the expensive tram. They had the intention to replace it by a bus. However, since the tram was built with subsidies from the EU, if they would have permanently shut it down, the city not only would have had to pay back the subsidy but also wouldn't have received any alternative transport funding until 30 years after the original inauguration of the tram line. The empire strikes back…..
Classic Messina
I regret now that I did not make a reservation for the intercity which is shipped on the ferry across the strait and therefore arrives at Messina station. Because of the long hike I will miss the next train and will arrive rather late when I want to get to my planned destination Syracuse today. There is no sign of any replacement bus. With a curse on my lips I start walking. The walk follows a busy road along the harbor front. One of the sights en route is the berth for cruise-ships. Walking on the other side of a barbed wire fence I can finally appreciate how long MS “Embarrassment of the seas” actually is because it takes a long time from bow to stern.
The station of Messina Centrale
It’s hot. The sidewalks are uneven and rough, and the rolling suitcase makes a hell of a racket. At intersections, cars are invariably parked right where you’re supposed to walk - precisely where the foresight of the municipal authorities has provided a dropped curb for wheel chairs, childrens buggies or roller cases. Whenever possible, the motorized vandals use the sidewalk as parking spot. If there is not enough space for a car it can accommodate a scooter. The only places where this is actually impossible are where the sidewalk is already closed off due to construction work - work, incidentally, where no one ever seems to be doing anything.
Train 5397 ready to depart Messina Centrale
Despite the distance and the heat I did not need more than 40 minutes to get to the station. When I eventually arrive I cannot find the entrance. Again a station which is under reconstruction. The elevators are not working. But a train ready for departure all the way to Syracuse is already waiting at the platform. Air condition running. With the optimistic expectation to actually be able to reach my destination for tonight I search the well-known booking platforms for a place to stay. Syracuse is full, a first sign that it is not shunned by tourists like 40 years ago. I end up booking a couple of nights at a bed & breakfast close to the station.
Old trains in the shed of Messina Centrale
When I get the confirmation mail it turns out that last check-in is 19.00, at least one hour before my arrival. I call and unexpectedly somebody indeed answers the phone. Although he is not pleased that I have booked via a platform and about my late arrival he is able to open the entrance door and the door to the apartment by remote control and explain me where, once inside, I will find the room key. Later I will have a code to open the front door. Everything sounds very complicated and prone to failure but eventually it works. I am in particular wary about failures of internet roaming or sudden blackouts of my phone, which rarely happen, but they do. Usually just in the moment when the conductor arrives on the train and you want to present your interrail pass…..
The well maintained roundhouse in Messina
Train 5397 leaves Messina Centrale at 17.15. The ride to Syracuse takes almost three hours. Shortly after leaving Messina Centrale we pass the extensive facilities of the railway depot. There is a huge, well-maintained roundhouse with a turn-table and numerous old Diesel-engines and railcars which look like they would love to have some work. Then the tracks follow the coastline.
Coast in Sicily between Messina and Taormina
The mountains do not leave a lot of space for the railway. The beaches to the left are just below the train. Some late swimmers are looking for refreshment in the sea. Little fishing boats rest in the sand behind them.
Coast in Sicily between Messina and Taormina
In the towns along the line the trains run through the backyards of the residents. There is a big project to build a long tunnel under the coastal mountains and trains will only see light again on their approach to Catania. Again, the attraction of a line would be sacrificed for speed. The station of Taormina Giardini will be bypassed. For now, the station of Taormina has even retained its well-taken care off water column for steam engines.
Backyards face the train, front facade face the sea
Like many of the stations of this line it basically sit on the shore. The sea splashes at the foot of the outermost track. However, the loss of local freight service and the use of electric multiple units instead of trains of coaches has rendered the sidings superficial. It is only a matter of time until the space between the main track and the sea will be overgrown by weeds.
Relic from the time of steam engines in Taormina
After Taormina the flatter landscape and the fertile ground allow vegetable fields. Farmhouse mansions look like they come from the time described in Visconti’s grand opus “Il Gattopardo”. However, many are ruins, abandoned, without glass in the windows or carved-in roofs. The Leopard has left for the north….
Vegetable gardens around Catania
In Catania the railway offers a view into the harbor. A big navy ship is moored. The railway tracks which once were used to serve the piers are still there, but abandoned. Some graffiti covered rail cars in the foreground which probably belong to the metro or the circumetna railway wait for better times.
Station and ....
... port of Catania
After a short detour inland the line rejoins the coast at Lentini. A range of coastal mountains forces the train to climb and offers the only passenger, who does not stare into the screen of his mobile phone, a sweeping view of the surf rolling against the long, straight beach.
The next stop is Augusta. Its natural harbor already was protected by fortresses in the time of emperor Frederick II. The harbor housed a fishing fleet and salt was recovered from salines. In world war II it was the site of the allied landing in Italy during operation Husky in July 1943. After the war the oil tycoon Angelo Moratti had the idea that this was the ideal spot for another industrial development project. The first oil refinery was installed. Others and a selection of chemical industry followed. For 30 km the Megara coast south of Augusta became industrialized in the 1980s.
Port and station at Augusta
Megara Hyblaea was one of the oldest ancient Greek colonies in Sicily, founded in 728 BC. In 1949 Moratti managed to get his first refinery constructed directly over the remains of the ancient city. Today, there is an archaeological park literally surrounded by oil refineries, storage tanks, and smokestacks.
The former salt pans of Augusta
Oil tankers wait off-shore. However, from the train, it is not clear which of the ships in the port of Augusta is a wreck or still active. The same can be said for the huge jumble of rusty pipes of the various petrochemical installations which line the railway for many kilometers south of Augusta.
The pipes of the triangle of death
Today, the massive Italian owned ISAB refinery, the Algerian owned Sonatrach’s refinery and chemical facilities owned by companies like Sasol and Eni generater 37% of Sicily's GDP, supply one-fifth of Italy's entire national fuel demand and generate 20% of Sicily's electricity.
Oil tanks in the petrochemical park of Augusta
Locally the area is called the "Triangle of Death". Uncontrolled emissions of mercury, lead, benzene, and dioxins into the air, ground, and sea led to a degree of environmental damage that the Italian Ministry of the Environment declared it one of the most polluted areas in the country. The 60,000 residents living in the vicinity suffer from abnormally high rates of oncological diseases, respiratory issues, and congenital malformations.
Refinery pipes
Local resistance campaigned against government and corporate mismanagement. In 1973 it was discovered that massive bribes had been paid by the oil tycoon Garrone to obtain the authorisations for the construction of the Isab refinery. The Guardia di Finanza discovered a list where all the names of those who had received bribes were listed. Among the recipients where the president of the Province of Syracuse, the Palermo Industry Department, the Department for Economic Development, the PSI but also the PCI and the Palermo daily newspaper l'Ora. Anglo-Dutch oil giant KD/Shell also was involved. In his book “Hoog Spel” Marcel Metze describes their activities at the time. To avoid further bad reputation the multinational completely abandoned and sold his Italian interests.
Meanwhile many companies have closed down and left the polluted infrastructures, waste substances, environmental damage and growing unemployment behind. The abandoned plants occupy large areas and the waste and pollution left behind requires huge investments for recycling or redevelopment. Although the European Court has established the principle of "the polluter pays" many of those legally “disappeared” and therefore the recovery will be at the expense of public funds.
When train 5397 arrives – on time at 20.06 – in Suracusa it is already dark. The station is under reconstruction, but the owner of the B&B has described a hidden passage along the former freight yard which quickly leads me to the entrance of the building. Everything works like described. I end up in an empty and bare apartment. The walls are decorated with large size prints of the owner’s photos of Syracuse. He also provides online access to a list of restaurants, bars and sights in town. I find an excellent, stylish restaurant with a hard-working waitress not far away, which is not on the list. I celebrate my late but successful and timely arrival with a fair amount of Pinot Griglio.
Dinner at the Osteria Bazan
The owner of the B&B has proudly proclaimed that he has introduced a new formula for the sake of the well-being of his guests. The novelty seems to consist in a fixed breakfast time at 8.30, when everybody is seated at a big table and served the same fare. In my view, the original, British, idea of a B&B was that a host rents out a couple of rooms in his family home. In the better case the owners, who always live in the same house, spend some time in the evening with the guests in a room with a fire place or library or share breakfast with them. This idea probably has never reached Italy. The peninsular B&B is a bleak, deserted apartment where the guests have to find their bearings. In the worst case, like before in Tivoli or Trieste, sealed and indefinitely durable elements for breakfast are already stored on a shelf in the rooms, precisely counted depending on the number of nights and guests. The owner stays invisible but is trustful enough that you leave the exact amount of money for the tourist tax in your room upon departure.
The old port of Syracuse
The “novel” formula here includes that each guests is met by the owner. In my case that will be later because of my late arrival. The big breakfast table with the fixed time has the advantage that you meet the other guests at least once. In this case there are three couples, from New Zealand and the UK. They benefit from the cheap flights to the airport in Catania. That in combination with a rental car offers the ingredients for a one week city hopping trip around the island.
Wrecks and ...
... attempts of repairs
The historic part of Syracuse is on an island, Ortiglia. This is where the original Greek settlement was. Subsequently it was covered with layer above layer of history – the Romans, the Byzantine empire, the Arabs, the Normans, Genoa, the holy Roman empire, the Spanish Aragonese, the knights of St. John, the British, the Austrians and eventually the Bourbon kings of Naples. Garibaldi made an end to this sequence of foreign intruders and Syracuse together with Sicily was the first part of the united Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
Merchants at the Ortiglia market
Local treats
The latest invasion is international. Nowhere would I have expected in 1985 that the whole old town of Syracuse has adapted to the English language. The number of, in particular, Americans is astounding. Maybe they are looking for a new place to settle….?
Selling fish with care
With the number of visitors it is surprising that some things have not changed. The little harbor and the canal separating the island of Ortiglia from the mainland are still filled with little fishing boats. Many are wrecks which try hard to disappear in the muck. But there are also some old men busy sanding and painting their wooden hulls in fresh white and blue.
The narrow alleys of Ortiglia still house a market which did not yet, like the market at the Campo de Fiori in Rome, completely succumb to the needs of tourists for souvenirs. There are still plenty of stalls selling fruit, vegetable, spices, cheese, nuts or olives. There are also numerous fish mongers who clean and fillet their catch with professional patience. Will they sell all the beautiful fish on display? Who will buy the impressive shiny long muray eel coiled up in between? The majority of customers are locals who also seem to populate the adjacent bars. The tourists are tolerated with friendly disdain. Nobody minds the photographer as long as he is not in the way of business.
Tourism has intruded by the arrival of stalls selling so-called local specialties. That seems to be mainly pesto, Limoncello and oysters. The latter are expensive but come with a free shot of wine. I guess the airport in Catania helps to fly them in from the fresh waters of Brittany. They are advertised in Italian, French, Spanish, English, German and Russian.
The real needs of tourists seem to lie in hats, belts, bags, t-shirts, shawls, pottery, coasters, dippers and parasols. Only the hats and belts do not carry colorful decorations with Sicilian themes. Why somebody would like to buy a shawl when the ambient temperature is above 30 C early in the morning is a miracle to me. But the colorful African woman shows how to wear them with grace.
Temple of Apollo
Not far from the market the ruins of a Greek temple dedicated to Apollo from the 6th century BC are preserved. Its magic survival in an area such densely built-up for two millenia is due to conversion to different subsequent uses. They reflect the history and different occupants of the town. First it became an orthodox byzantine church, then an Islamic mosque, a Normanic church, Spanish barracks and then the private residence of a guy called Danieli. Parts of the capitals of a column had to be cut away to enlarge the room to create enough space for his bed.
Best known resident of antique Syracuse was Archimede (287 – 212 BC). He was an allround genius who made important discoveries and developed novel designs in Mathematics, Physics, Astronomy, Mechanics and Engineering. Archimede was killed by a Roman soldier during the sack of the city in 212 despite the order that he should not be harmed. The myth that his last words were "Do not disturb my circles" has no historic basis.
The quarry to built antique Syracuse
Already in Greek times there was not enough space on the island for prestigious architecture. The Greek theater had to be built in the outskirts and now forms the center of an archaeological park. It is still used for performances. The modern chairs and walkways all but cover the original structure. The undisturbed beauty and size of the building can be appreciated in Google. In the upper ranks is a grotto which surprisingly contains a fountain with fresh water. Although there is not much to see in the Nimfeo members of big, noisy Spanish tourist group jostle around to take selfies with their phones.
Orecchio di Dioniso
The main attraction of the archaeological park are the former quarries, the Orecchio di Dioniso, Grotta di Cordari and Grotta di Salnitro. The size is impressive and the ground is partially covered with water. The name goes back to the tyrant Dionysos, who came to power in 405 BC. Later, Latin authors Cicero and Plutarch, themselves not living in times well-known for the gentleness of their rulers, recounted the enormous brutality he used to stay in power. The myth that Dionysos used the grotto as prison goes back to the painter Caravaggio and has no historic evidence. He probably got the idea because of the excellent acoustics of the grotto. Dionysos would have been able to listen to the conversations of and spy on the prisoners from above the grotto.
Grotta di Cordari
The entrance ticket to the park includes an Audio tour for which you have to leave your ID as security. The audiotour is a bit unclear about the different locations and how to get there. A big part of the park seems to be closed for visitors. Maybe that is the reason that only few find the remains of the next layer of history, the enormous Roman amphitheater, across the road. Or maybe the majority of those noisy Spaniards is too tired to walk around in the heat much more. Whatever it is, walking along the paths circling around the amphitheater’s ruins overgrown with red daisies and flowering oleander scrubs is peaceful, enjoyable and quiet.
The Roman amphitheatre of Syracuse
The Spaniards were the reason that a big part of the antique remains of Syracuse were vandalized. They were too lazy to look for virgin building material and tore down the antique structures to use the blocks for their own purposes.
Flowering oleander scrubs in the Roman amphitheatre
When the Christian fate took root in Syracuse the remains of the believers were buried in catacombs. There are three huge underground Catacomb areas in Syracuse, the Catacombs of San Giovanni, Vigna Cassia and Santa Lucia. The latter were from the first half of the 3rd century. The catacombs of San Giovanni were used after the Edikt of Milan in 313 AD, when the Christian faith was officially recognized in the Roman empire. It therefore is not true that catacombs were used as refuges and shelters during the persecutions of Christians.
The church of San Giovanni
The catacombs of San Giovanni are built along an ancient aqueduct. Ten aisles branch off a central corridor. There are 10000 grave chambers for around 20000 bodies. The catacombs were used until the end of the 6th century. After the chambers lay abandoned for many centuries. Looters opened the stone slabs to search for valuables and scattered the skeletal remains. During World War II the Italian government converted the deep limestone catacombs into shelters for the population. To that end all remains were gathered and were reburied in ossuaries and common graves in the municipal cemeteries
Interior of the ruins of San Giovanni
The catacombs can be visited with a guided tour. You get the corresponding headgear and the tour starts with a virtual reality introduction. Against my prejudices I have to admit that it is actually well made and informative. During the tour it is absolutely forbidden to take pictures. Even the phones are unwanted and the guide is rigorous. I don’t understand the fuss, there is nothing human left in the catacombs any more. I guess they rather want to sell their booklets. The illustrations they offer are better anyway.
Santa Lucia
The catacomb of San Giovanni is under the ruins of a lovely Roman chapel which would be an attraction in itself. The catacomb of Santa Lucia is under a well-preserved Roman basilica with the same name. Next door the baptistery is half under street level.
The baptistry of Santa Lucia
The church is known for its enormous 4 by 3 m painting by Caravaggio “the burial of Santa Lucy”. As is usual with old paintings in churches it is almost impossible to discern any details in the gloomy light of the interior of the church. Consequently they have painted a huge mural on the facing blind wall of the neighboring building. I guess it is much better than the original.
It is a long way from the archaeological park to the other end of the island. The loveliest way to get around in Syracuse is with one of those colorfully decorated Tuk-tuks or Vespa-taxis. Each seems to have it own individual identity.
The far end of Ortiglia island is dominated by the Maniace Castle named after the Byzantine commander George Maniace, Vicar of the Emperor of Constantinople. The castle got its present shape in 1232 and 1239 under the rule of the holy Roman emperor Frederick II. Frederick just had returned from a Crusade and like many modern tourists preferred Italy to his frigid barbarian homeland. To consolidate his rule in he had a number of similar castles built all over southern Italy the most of famous of which is Castel del Monte in Apulia.
The courtyard and great hall of Maniace Castle
Most impressive is the single, gigantic hall in the interior of the donjon. The ceiling is supported by large ribbed vaults resting on massive columns crowned by capitals. Their rich acanthus ornamentation has survived. The vaults are similar to the halls in the Marienburg in Poland thousands of kilometers away.
With the introduction of cannons and firearms the fortifications around the castle and the island of Ortigia was steadily improved since Syracuse was one of the strongholds of the foreign rulers over Sicily who not only had to cope with external enemies but also the resistance of the local population. One of the improvements was carried out by the Spanish. The entrance port to the central part of the castle hold the coat of arms of Charles V, another imperial ruler who counted Sicily among his many possessions. However, this coat of arm was attached to the port only in 1614, long after the rule of Charles V, to mark the importance and power of the Spanish occupation.
The battlements of Ortiglia
The aggression of the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, against his neighbors did not bypass the Spanish dominions in Sicily. In the Franco-Dutch war of 1672 – 1678 an alliance of Brandenburg, the Holy Roman Empire, Spain and the United Provinces fought against France. The Dutch admiral Michiel de Ruyter ventured with a squadron into the Mediterranean. It wasn’t a good idea since he died in a battle. Originally he was buried in Syracuse but later the body was claimed by the Dutch and repatriated.
Shrines also at the street corners of Syracuse
While the castle had withstood attacks and earthquakes without much harm the strike of a lightning during a strong storm in December 1704 led to disastrous damages. The powder magazine containing 800 barrels barrels of gun powder exploded. Watchtowers and an entire floor collapsed. 33 Spanish soldiers of the night guard died.
The geologic instability and proximity of the Etna volcano led to various serious earthquakes and great natural catastrophes in Syracuse. The most destructive was the earthquake of 1542 during which the city was almost completely destroyed. The population was further decimated by famines and epidemics. A further earthquake and tsunami occurred in 1693. 4000 people were killed in one day.
Cattedrale Metropolitana della Natività di Maria Santissima
Afterwards the old city on the island of Ortigia was completely rebuilt in Baroque style. Until the next earthquake strikes this is how the old town will look like. However, remains of the previous structures can be seen everywhere. From the outside the Cattedrale Metropolitana della Natività di Maria Santissima is a baroque building. The nave makes clear that a Roman building hides behind the facade. The columns in the walls go back to antiquity.
The baroque style influenced architecture in Syracuse for a long time. The Fontana di Diana seems to be a baroque fountain. However, it was built in 1907 by Guilio Moschetti in neobaroque style. It is the undisputed favorite selfie spot for tourists.
Santuario delle Madonna delle Lacrime
Only 50 years or two generations of architects are between the Fountana di Diana and the Santuario delle Madonna delle Lacrime. This enormous concrete structure, which looks like an over-sized tagine, a maroccan cooking pot, was planned in the mid 1950s and eventually consecrated by Pope John Paul II in 1994. The conical concrete body reaches a height of 103 m and with a diameter of 71 m offers space for 17.000 believers, 6000 of whom can actually take a seat. The model for the building, of course, was not a cooking pot but the shape of a tear drop.
The interior of Santuario delle Madonna delle Lacrime
The story of the new church goes back to a miracle that happened rather recently between August 29 and September 1, 1953. On 58 occasions a small effigy of the Madonna in the house of the Iannoso couple shed tears. With unexpected alertness the tears were immediately collected and scientifically analyzed. The analysis showed that the fluid had the composition of tears which doubtlessly were shed by the eyes of the madonna on the little picture.
Venerating the madonna
The ensuing devotion assumed epic proportions. With an efficiency and speed unusual for the present day, the foundation stone for an adequate shrine to house the image and the small vial of tears was laid as early as May 1954. Interesting enough the site selected for the future church was next to or above an ancient site in the progress of excavation. It now lies abandoned, fenced off with the well-known fences and overgrown net door.
The modern building has a crypt downstairs and the circular nave with a height of 94 m upstairs. I arrive at the end of a service. The believers line up to lick tears which might have formed on the image since an attendant has wiped it with a rag after the previous contact from the a mouth with the effigy. If you ever have thought that superstition is a term of the past or of fanatics with black, unkempt beards you are wrong. It is here, among us. After their contact with holyness the believers drift off to have a healthy lunch.
Entrance to the antique ruins next and under the Santuario delle Madonna delle Lacrime
The Santuario delle Madonna delle Lacrime is the most monumental, but by far not the only example of alarming modern architecture in Syracuse. Again I ask myself how an art can undergo such a crash in such a short time in a country so full of historical inspiration. The collapse seems to have accelerated into bottomless depth after world war II. What will wait for us in the future? The shipping container as highball of architecture?
The antique ruins next to the Santuario delle Madonna delle Lacrime
Sources:
Sanne de Boer, Mafiopoli, Nieuw Amsterdam, 2025, pg. 114 ff.
Marcel Metze, Hoog Spel, De politieke biografie van Shell, Balans, 2023
Chiesa parrocchiale di Santa Rita
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Chiesa di San Tommaso Apostolo al Pantheon
