Siracusa and its surroundings
Cicero described Syracuse as the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of all (Verrine, II, IV, 117). Established in 733 BC by Corinthian settlers, Syracuse played a starring role in Mediterranean history, and it became the political and cultural heart of Sicily until the Arab conquest in 878 AD. The historical centrality of the city reflects its heterogeneous archaeological and artistic heritage which, from the Greek and Roman architectures to the Paleochristian catacombs, from the Medieval dwellings to the Baroque churches, arouses continuous and unexpected emotions in the traveller.
