Ortigia

Temple of Apollo

At the entrance to the island of Ortygia, the base of two columns and a part of the cella (shrine) form the monumental ruins of the Temple of Apollo, the oldest Doric temple in eastern Sicily.

Ricalco

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The building, dating from 565 BC, had a peristasis

of six columns on the front and seventeen on the long side. Facing east, the building was preceded by a basement of four steps on which there was an engraving in Greek with a dedication to the god Apollo and the names of the temple’s creator and the columns’ builder. The cella

(shrine), preceded by a vestibule, was divided into three naves by two rows of columns arranged in two levels.
The material used for the construction of the temple is the typical Syracusan limestone called “giuggiulena”. Since importing marble was too expensive, all the temples were built with local limestone, while only the noblest parts, like statues of the gods, were in marble.
The building’s roof was covered with terracotta slabs enriched with decorative motifs of a lively red and blue polychromy.
The rainwater holes were shaped like rosettes. Lastly, the temple’s pediment was decorated with a terrifying gorgon

head with sharp tusks and a monstrous gaze, placed to guard the temple. A temenos, or enclosure, surrounded the temple, separating the sacred area from the secular space and housed an altar, inside which priests performed sacrifices

to the gods.
The monument underwent numerous changes over the centuries: it was transformed into a Byzantine church, an Islamic mosque, a Norman church then was finally incorporated into a Spanish barracks.
Only in the 18th century did the birth of modern archaeology restore the ancient Greek place of worship to its original dignity.

Tappa Sensoriale The senses tell of the Temple of Apollo

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Roman Syracuse, a military power thanks to the genius of Archimedes

The cultural significance of tragedy

Pantalica: where nature and history merge

Piazza del Duomo, a sacred place of the ancient Greeks

Where seas and civilisations meet

The Church of San Giovanni alle Catacombe

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The catacombs of San Giovanni

The Culture of Pantalica

Castello Maniace

The Greek Theatre of Syracuse

The Venationes

The Athenaion of the tyrant Gelon

Giudecca, the hidden Jewish heart of Syracuse

The Cathedral of Syracuse

The Church of St. Lucia to the Abbey

The Roman Amphitheatre

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Ortygia. Venus rising from the waters of the port

The Jews, a wandering people

King Hyblon’s kingdom: Pantalica, between history and legend

The Dionysian Walls: a masterpiece of Greek engineering

The Spanish fortification

Syracuse during the tyranny of Dionysius

Traces of Christianity in Syracuse

Temple of Apollo

The Altar of Hieron II: Blood and fire place

The Senatorial Palace

The Euryalus Fortress

Crypt of San Marciano

The Gladiator performances

Byzantine Pantalica

The Ear of Dionysius and the Grotta dei Cordari

The architecture of the Piazza

The Museion and the Grotta del Ninfeo

Inside the Cathedral of Ortygia

Informazioni

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Contatti

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MiC – Ministero della Cultura Legge 77/2006 - Misure Speciali di Tutela e Fruizione dei Siti Italiani di Interesse Culturale, Paesaggistico e Ambientale, inseriti nella “Lista Del Patrimonio Mondiale”, posti sotto la Tutela dell’ UNESCO Regione Siciliana.

Assessorato dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana, Dipartimento dei Beni Culturali e dell’Identità Siciliana.

Parco archeologico della Valle dei Templi di Agrigento.