2-Hour Walk in the Archaeological Park of Neapolis from Syracuse

Roman Theatre

Greek Theatre

The Ear of Dionysius

Cave of the Cordari

Highlights

Walk around the Greek Theatre & the Roman Amphitheatre

Take a look at the Ear of Dionysus and Cave of the Cordari

Interesting insights into Roman architecture and society with your local expert

Syracuse

architectural, archaeological, historical

Group Tour

2 Hours

Easy

English

Description

Discover the beautiful ruins of an ancient Italian city in the Archaeological Park of Neapolis. The highlights here will be the majestic Greek Theatre, the grand Roman Amphitheatre and the artificial caves of the Ear of Dionysus and Cave of the Cordari that showcase the historical and archaeological value of the ancient Empire.

Itinerary

Syracuse - Neapolis Archaeological Park

Meet your Syracuse tourist guide and head to the Archaeological Park of Neapolis to visit the following:
- Greek Theatre: There is news of this theatre from 500 BC, 2500 years ago and is currently one of the most famous monuments and the symbol of Syracuse. Since its creation, it has been very successful, being an important meeting place for the Greeks and later also used by the Romans to make shows. In the centuries to come it has been damaged, but today it is still possible to see the part carved in the rock, which allows us to appreciate its majesty. The missing blocks were probably used to build other buildings in the city in the Middle Ages.
- Roman Amphitheatre: The Roman Amphitheatre of Syracuse is the second largest in Italy after that of Verona. It dates back to around 2000 years ago and can be reached via a path that features stone sarcophagi from the necropolis of the city. Its dimensions are surprising and, in addition to the Amphitheater, the remains of an arch and those of a fountain are also visible. Also, in this case, only the part excavated in the rock remains, while the raised part has been dismantled in past centuries to make other constructions.
- Ear of Dionysus: The Ear of Dionysus is an imposing artificial cave with incredible dimensions, 23 meters high. The origin of its name is attributable to Caravaggio who, while visiting the city, coined this singular name due to the ear shape of the donkey of the entrance to the cave. Dionysius was a tyrant of Syracuse who had dug the cave to lock up the prisoners, who listened hidden in an upper cavity. This was possible thanks to the incredible acoustics of the cave, which can amplify the sounds even 16 times.
- Cave of the Cordari: Not far from Dionigi's ear is the Cave of Cordari, another artificial cave. Its name derives from the fact that it was used by the Cordari as a place to manufacture the ropes, work facilitated by the presence of humidity. Currently, some parts are covered with moss and maidenhair, which create a magical atmosphere thanks to the particular play of light that is created inside. They were also used to extract limestone and this activity gave the cave a particular and square architecture.