Parks and gardens
Giardino dei Marinaretti
A small public garden near the sea, ideal for a quiet walk and for the little ones to play outdoors.
400 m 6′ on foot
Location on Google Maps Places guide
Places to see in Syracuse
Seventy-two places around Ortigia and Neapolis, with indicative distances from our address and links to maps.
How to read this guide
Three things to know about the distances and the photos below.
Distances start at our door
These are indicative estimates from 37 Viale Luigi Cadorna; actual routes and travel times may vary. Open the map to plan your journey.
The link opens Google Maps
Every card leads to the position of the place and opens the map on the exact spot: from there you also find parking, opening hours and how to get there.
The photos come from Wikimedia Commons
Each image credits its author and licence and links back to the source: they are open files, not ours, and anyone can check where they come from.
Explore by theme
Where would you like to begin?
Choose a route through the city. Each collection includes distances and directions to the places.
01 Churches Basilicas, sanctuaries and places of worship across Syracuse. 18 places Explore this category 02 UNESCO UNESCO heritage, from Ortigia and Neapolis to Pantalica. 11 places Explore this category 03 Museums Collections, archaeology and stories from the Syracuse area. 6 places Explore this category 04 Historic palaces Historic architecture and residences in the heart of the city. 9 places Explore this category 05 Archaeological sites Theatres, quarries and traces of ancient Syracuse. 23 places Explore this category
The 72 places
A selection of places in Syracuse. Each card shows an indicative distance where available and a link to the map.
Churches
Chiesa di San Tommaso al Pantheon
A former church with a central plan, now a cultural venue, it still preserves its frescoes.
Parks and gardens
Foro Siracusano – Parco giochi
A children’s playground in a residential area, handy for neighbourhood families looking for a green space close to home.
550 m 8′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Churches
Santuario Madonna delle Lacrime
A modern building raised in memory of the miracle of the Virgin’s tears.
Churches
Santa Lucia al Sepolcro
Built on the site of the saint’s martyrdom, with an octagonal dome and a central plan.
Archaeological sites
Tempietto del Sepolcro
A 4th-century AD small domed temple dedicated to the cult of the dead, reflecting late Roman influences.
Parks and gardens
Piazza Adda – Parco giochi
A small green area with children’s games, the meeting point of the neighbourhood and a good place for an afternoon stop.
650 m 9′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Archaeological sites
Catacombe di Vigna Cassia
Early Christian and less known than those of San Giovanni, with loculi and vaulted rooms: a community shelter and a place of worship.
Museums
Museo Archeologico 'Paolo Orsi'
One of Europe’s leading museums of classical archaeology: it holds finds from prehistory to late antiquity, with statues, vases and mosaics.
Historic palaces
Villa Landolina
An elegant nineteenth-century residence, with Italian-style gardens and frescoed halls that host summer cultural events.
Parking
Parcheggio Molo S. Antonio
A handy car park next to the harbour and a few minutes’ walk from Ortigia. Ideal for leaving the car and reaching the old town stress-free.
800 m 11′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Churches
San Giovanni
An early Christian church with a Byzantine crypt and catacombs, a symbol of the ancient faith.
Archaeological sites
Catacombe di San Giovanni
An early Christian complex (1st-5th centuries) with cubicula, loculi and meeting rooms, the trace of a thriving Christian community.
Parks and gardens
Parco giochi San Giovanni
A playground in the San Giovanni area, perfect for letting the children run about after a walk around the neighbourhood.
900 m 13′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Other places
Mercato di Ortigia
Colourful and lively, it is the beating heart of the old town: stalls of fresh fish, spices, local produce and the voices of everyday Syracuse.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Tempio di Apollo
The first Doric temple in Sicilian stone (6th century BC), on Ortigia. Large remains of the anta columns and of the architrave survive.
Churches
Chiesa di San Paolo
Simple on the outside but rich in works of art, it overlooks the area near the Temple of Apollo.
Archaeological sites
Porta Urbica
The ancient gateway to the Dionysian fortress of Ortigia, part of the walls that encircled the island and linked it to the Eurialo Castle.
Other places
Antico Mercato Ortigia
A restored historic building, now a venue for events, exhibitions and cultural initiatives in the heart of Ortigia.
Churches
Santa Maria dei Miracoli
A Renaissance church with sixteenth-century frescoes and a two-light loggia.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Teatro Greco
Built in the 5th century BC in the natural quarry of Temenite, it seated up to 15,000 spectators and still hosts seasons of classical performances.
1.3 km 19′ on foot
Location on Google MapsPhoto: fotovideomike from Italia (Michele Ponzio, @michele_ponzio) · CC BY-SA 2.0
Churches
Chiesa di San Pietro
Among the oldest, with a crypt and a semicircular Byzantine apse.
Churches
Chiesa di San Cristoforo
A small historic church in the centre of Syracuse, often passed over by the usual itineraries.
Museums
Museo Leonardo da Vinci e Archimede
A permanent exhibition with working models of the two great minds, between technological inventions and scientific applications.
1.3 km 19′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Archaeological sites
Piscina Romana
A large underground cistern from Roman times, with arcades and barrel vaults, used to collect drinking water.
Archaeological sites
Tomba di Archimede
A Roman-era funerary monument traditionally associated with the great mathematician, with niches and geometric decoration.
Churches
Chiesa del Collegio dei Gesuiti
Rich in marble altars and canvases, one of the most imposing examples of the Jesuit style.
Churches
Chiesa del Carmine
A baroque church with a convex façade and fine eighteenth-century stuccoes.
Churches
Chiesa di Maria Santissima della Misericordia
Close to the sea, it is a spiritual landmark for the fishermen and the people of the neighbourhood.
1.4 km 20′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Historic palaces
Palazzo Montalto
Built in 1397 in the Chiaramonte Gothic style, with mullioned windows and carved rosettes, an example of medieval noble architecture.
Historic palaces
Palazzo Pupillo
A fourteenth-century building remodelled, with a Renaissance façade and an arcaded inner courtyard.
Archaeological sites
Latomia dei Cappuccini
The largest of the Syracusan quarries, used as a limestone quarry from the 6th century BC. The Capuchin friars turned it into a kitchen garden in the 16th century.
Other places
Piazza Archimede (Fontana di Diana)
At the heart of Ortigia, the square hosts the Fontana di Diana: a monumental work celebrating the myth of Arethusa through sea horses and gods.
Other places
Monumento ai Caduti d’Africa
A monument dedicated to the soldiers who fell in the military campaigns in Africa, standing in one of the city’s main squares.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Anfiteatro Romano
A 1st-century AD work cut into the tufa rock, it hosted gladiators and public games: one of the best-preserved elliptical structures in Sicily.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Ara di Ierone II
A monumental 3rd-century BC altar dedicated to Zeus Eleutherios, with monumental steps and reliefs still visible today.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Orecchio di Dionisio
An artificial cave 23 m high, famous for its exceptional acoustics: legend says Dionysius used it to overhear his prisoners.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Tempio di Atena / Duomo
A 5th-century BC Greek temple turned into a Byzantine basilica and later a baroque Duomo, with Doric columns built into the façade.
Churches
Il Duomo
Built on the Doric temple of Athena, it brings together Greek, Norman and baroque elements.
Museums
Museo del Cinema di Siracusa
It gathers film memorabilia, vintage projectors and screen costumes, celebrating the bond between Syracuse and the seventh art.
1.5 km 21′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Historic palaces
Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco
A masterpiece of Syracusan baroque (18th century), with rich stuccoes and a monumental staircase.
Historic palaces
Palazzo Vermexio
Known as the “Palazzo del Senato”, built in 1633 in the Sicilian baroque style, today the seat of the Town Hall.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Piazza Duomo
A baroque square flanked by the Bishop’s Palace, the Town Hall and the church of Santa Lucia alla Badia: the civic and religious heart of the city.
Churches
Santa Lucia alla Badia
A baroque church next to the Duomo, with eighteenth-century stuccoes and altars.
Churches
San Francesco all'Immacolata
A baroque church in Piazza Corpaci, known for its front and its interior frescoes.
Churches
Cappella di Santa Lucia
Inside the Duomo, it keeps the silver statue of the saint.
Historic palaces
Arcivescovado
A former bishop’s palace, rebuilt in the 17th century with monumental staircases and inner courtyards, today the seat of the Archbishop of Syracuse.
Archaeological sites
Ipogei sotto l'Arcivescovado
Underground galleries and Greek cisterns, part of the water system and later an air-raid shelter in the 20th century.
Historic palaces
Palazzo Impellizzeri
An elegant neoclassical building (19th century) with a symmetrical façade and white stone decoration.
Historic palaces
Palazzo Borgia del Casale
An eighteenth-century noble residence with a panoramic loggia and hanging gardens, an example of baroque residential architecture.
Beaches
Spiaggia della Marina
In the heart of Ortigia, this small urban beach offers a refreshing break with a view over the city’s ancient walls.
1.7 km 24′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Latomie del Paradiso
The ancient quarries of Syracuse, later natural prisons: deep inside them stands the famous Ear of Dionysius.
UNESCO · Ortigia and Neapolis
Fonte Aretusa
A freshwater oasis full of papyrus, a few steps from the sea. Bound to the myth of the nymph Arethusa and the god Alpheus.
Museums
Galleria Regionale di Palazzo Bellomo
A Swabian-Catalan palace housing masterpieces by Antonello da Messina, Gothic and Renaissance painting, and medieval art collections.
Museums
Museo del Papiro "Corrado Basile"
The only place in Europe where papyrus grows spontaneously: it retraces the history and the working of this precious plant with ancient and modern papyri.
Museums
Museo Aretuseo dei Pupi
Dedicated to the Sicilian puppet theatre, with historic marionettes, battle scenes and the tools of the traditional show.
Historic palaces
Palazzo Bellomo
A medieval palace of Swabian origin, today the seat of the Regional Gallery, which holds important Sicilian art from the 12th to the 18th century.
Archaeological sites
Grotta dei Cordari
A former medieval quarry for rope-making, preserving vaults and niches: a trace of the ancient rope-makers’ craft.
Churches
Chiesa di San Martino
One of the oldest in Syracuse, with a Gothic portal and fourteenth-century frescoes.
Beaches
Spiaggia Cala Rossa
One of Ortigia’s most picturesque coves, with turquoise water and flat rocks, perfect for sunbathing and diving in.
1.9 km 27′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Churches
Chiesa dello Spirito Santo
A Norman church with an Arab-Norman portal and characteristic apses.
Beaches
Spiaggia Diana del Forte
A panoramic spot with sea access near the Vigliena Fort, perfect for a quick swim or a sea-view break.
2.0 km 28′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Churches
Chiesa del Gesù (Collegio)
A monumental baroque building with a two-tiered façade and a sumptuous interior.
Archaeological sites
Necropoli del Fusco
An important Greek burial area (8th-5th centuries BC) with pit graves that yielded rich grave goods and ceramics.
2.2 km 28′ on foot
Location on Google MapsParks and gardens
Parco Ozanam – Parco giochi
A playground in the Pizzuta district, a handy space for families and children living in the south of the city.
4.1 km 61′ on foot
Location on Google Maps
Archaeological sites
Castello Eurialo
A 5th-century BC Greek fortress, a masterpiece of military engineering with underground galleries and an advanced defence system.
Archaeological sites
Resti dell'Anaktoron
The ruins of Hiero II’s palace on the Temenite hill, with Doric halls and a courtyard, an example of Hellenistic architecture.
Archaeological sites
Necropoli di Pantalica
Over 5,000 rock-cut tombs dated between the 13th and 7th centuries BC, spread across the river gorges of the Anapo valley.
UNESCO · Pantalica and the necropolis
Tomba a forno - Mulinello
A typical prehistoric tomb with a cylindrical chamber, cut into the rock and covered with slabs, dating to the 2nd millennium BC.
Location on Google Maps
Photo: Melos · CC BY-SA 3.0
UNESCO · Pantalica and the necropolis
Vista d'insieme delle Tombe
A breathtaking overview of the necropolis: thousands of cavities cut into the rock walls, arranged in regular groups.
Archaeological sites
Oratori affrescati
Small rock-cut chapels (such as the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste) with late antique Byzantine frescoes.
Archaeological sites
Tomba a forno - Pantalica
2nd millennium BC, a circular burial cut into the rock and covered with slabs: typical of the necropolis.
The 4 cards without a distance are at the bottom: for those places we only give the position on the map.
How the distances are calculated
Published distances are indicative estimates from 37 Viale Luigi Cadorna, not verified walking routes. Actual routes and times may vary; check the map before setting off.