Siracusa. City of Archimedes. And the three nymphs :)

In Sicily, parks are covered with  magnolia trees.

My uncle has magnolia tree near his house.

Snakes use it as a favorite hide out...

We actually went for a swim down the Cyclop shore.

 Decided to go to Siracusa that day as well.

It was the best decision.

  

In this water fountain Archimedes fell in.

So they say.

And this one is known as the papyrus fountain.

All these fountains have a special story behind them... Like this one and the nymphs.

Well three nymphs :).

And this cathedral.

Actually it was Greeks who built a temple to Athena here. 

The current facade dates from reconstruction after a 1693 earthquake. 

Did you know that these are genuine 5th century Doric columns?

The Piazza del Duomo is framed by palaces, churches, the cathedral.

There are plenty little cafes and restaurants from where you can enjoy piazza's beauty and pretend to be local, taking it easy, playing cards, doing random conversations.

I like the fruity taste of Sicilian cousine.

Granitas, coctails.

And - of course - crusty Italian pizza.

These are snapshots of some treats you can get in Siracusa.

You can not afford to go to Siracusa and not visit the old theatre out of the Temenites hill .

Parco Archeologico della Neapolis.

Such an amazing place.

Behind me is a fresh water well.

Not in use any more.

In this Greek theatre,  original works by Sophocles and Euripedes were performed thousands of years ago.

And that small house up the hill is a Spanish mill.

It is there because Spanish flooded theatre completely.

This place is amazing.

To walk these paths and think who was there walking the same path thousand years ago...

Our own Hercules :).

Just a short walk from the theater is a park surrounded by rocks  known as the Quarry of Paradise (from here the Greeks used stone for their statues). 

The most known, after the theatre here, is this cave - Caravaggio.  The Ear of Dionysus.  

It is a 60 meter long grotto,  cut into the rock.

The nickname Caravaggio came from its shape. 

 Legend has it that the tyrant Dionysus would keep prisoners here so that he could hear their conversantions.

The shape  causes peoples’ conversations to be amplified at the roof of the cave, 22m above the floor. 
Supposedly this enabled guards to spy on prisoners by listening to the amplified sound through a small hidden opening at the top of the cave: even when the prisoners spoke in whispersssss.

The building which dominates the city is 

the Santuario della Madonna delle Lácrime. 

A church.

In this church they keep this replica of Jesus's cloth.

The beauty of its structure is debatable. 

Some think it should looked more as other churches Siracusa is known for.

Siracusa is an amazing city.

 Rich history.

Home to Archimedes.

Ruled by the famous tyrant Dionysius.

Once it was the mightiest city-state.  

Someone once said

"Visiting Syracuse is like taking a trip back into the ancient world". Greek ruins around Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Baroque constructions. 

The old town of Siracusa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wherever you step your foot here you will see something that will occupy your attention - weather its a building, ruin, fountain or church.

Or you could meet someone new.

:)

And if nothing of these pleases you,
you can always go to the beach.

...