Vacation in Sicily 2002 part I
Again, this is not a new entry, but a consolidation of my web stuff. This is a vacation I took in 2002. I had just bought a Canon ELPH S200 so I took a lot of photos.
Again, this is not a new entry, but a consolidation of my web stuff. This is a vacation I took in 2002. I had just bought a Canon ELPH S200 so I took a lot of photos.
November 2002 Long overdo, I decided to take a nice long vacation following the completion of my Ph.D. I had saved up some money and decided that I was going to splurge a little. As it was getting late in the year, I wanted to go somewhere warm and I wanted it to be somewhere in Europe. I settled upon the southernmost point of Europe, in the island of Sicily. I left on Oct 6 and return Oct 21.
Sicilia
Sicily or Sicilia (See-CHI-lee-ah) in Italian is the largest island in the Mediterranean, separated from mainland Italy by only 3km at the Straits of Messina. The island is roughly triangular shape. The land is dominated by hills and mountains, including volcanic regions. The highest mountain in Sicily is a volcano named Mt. Etna, rising to 3323m.
Population of Sicily is around 5,000,000. Palermo in the northwest is the capital. The second largest city is Catania at the base of Mt. Etna. Other major cities include Siracusa, Messina, Ragusa and Agrigento.
—The Rough Guide to Sicily, Robert Andres, Jules Brown and Kate Hughes. 5th edition.
Siracusa
Syracuse or Siracusa (See-rah-CU-sah) is an ancient city situated near the southeastern-most tip of Sicilia. It started as a settlement in prehistoric times, became a power city in ancient Greece, fell to the Roman, Moors, and Normans over the next thousand years. Each of different eras of control can be seen in the architecture of Siracusa.
Neopolis and Parco Archeològico
Right in the centre of modern Siracusa is a large park containing some spectacular ruins and gardens.
Greek Amphitheatre
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Teatro Greco. Note the wedding party in the top right corner. |  |
Teatro Greco. The Nymphaeum is visible on the right side. |
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People relaxing in the amphitheatre | View of the ampitheatre from the west side (looking east) | |
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Looking toward the remains of the stage. |  |
This is the Via dei Sepolcri (Street of Tombs). In the distance the Santuario della Madonna delle Làcrime. |
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The Nymphaeum. An artificial grotto at the top of the Teatro Greco |  |
Looking west along the top of the Teatro. Several rock cuts and grottos can be seen. |
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Rock Grottos |
Latomie and Gardens
Just to the east of the Teatro Greco is several pits or
latomie where most of the rock was quarried for the
various buildings and monuments of Ancient Siracusa.
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Looking down into the Latomie |  |
Garden path into the Latomie del Paradiso |
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Huge rock pillar in the Latomie Intagliatella | Another view of the rock cut. | |
| The Orrechio di Dionsio (Ear of Dionysius). | Grotta dei Cordari (Grotto of the Ropemakers). Apparently ropemakers from ancient Siracusa made ropes in this cave, because the damp air prevented the strands from breaking. |
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| Looking up to the top of the entrance to the Ear | Wedding photos in the Ear | ||
| In the Ear of Dionysus | Another part of the garden in the Latomie del Paradiso | ||
| Time to go! |
Ara di Ierone II
Near the entrance to the Teatro Greco, is the remains of a huge
altar that was erected in honour of Zeus Eleutherios during the reign
of Hieron II.
Anfiteatro Romano
When the Romans came to rule Sicilia, they converted the Teatro Greco
as well as installing an elliptical arena for their infamous circus
blood sports.
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