The site consists of two separate elements, containing outstanding vestiges dating back to Greek and Roman times: The Necropolis of Pantalica contains over 5,000 tombs cut into the rock near open stone quarries, most of them dating from the 13th to 7th centuries BC. Vestiges of the Byzantine era also remain in the area, notably the foundations of the Anaktoron (Prince’s Palace). The other part of the property, Ancient Syracuse, includes the nucleus of the city’s foundation as Ortygia by Greeks from Corinth in the 8th century BC. The site of the city, which Cicero described as ‘the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of all’, retains vestiges such as the Temple of Athena (5th century BC, later transformed to serve as a cathedral), a Greek theatre, a Roman amphitheatre, a fort and more. Many remains bear witness to the troubled history of Sicily, from the Byzantines to the Bourbons,
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
The site consists of two separate elements, containing outstanding vestiges dating back to Greek and Roman times: The Necropolis of Pantalica contains over 5,000 tombs cut into the rock near open stone quarries, most of them dating from the 13th to 7th centuries BC. Vestiges of t
Collections featuring Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
More UNESCO sites in Italy
- 18th-Century Royal Palace at Caserta with the Park, the Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, and the San Leucio Complex
- Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalú and Monreale
- Archaeological Area and the Patriarchal Basilica of Aquileia
- Archaeological Area of Agrigento
- Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata
- Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco and Other Franciscan Sites
- Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico), Padua
- Castel del Monte