Piazza Duomo Siracusa

Culture, Tipical places
Piazza Duomo - 96100 Siracusa

    Take a walk in the baroque heart of Ortigia admiring its beauties

    The wide and splendid Piazza Duomo of Siracusa, on the highest point of the island of Ortigia, is the symbol of Baroque reconstruction of the city after the earthquake of 1693. You can admire and visit some of the main historical and religious buildings of the center. The white color of the limestone gives the square an aura of whiteness mixed with majesty that strikes anyone who admires her.

    Its semicircular plan makes it unique, this conformation recalls the Greek agora where the people gathered to decide the fate of their city. This is the heart of the hidden Syracuse, that network of underground tunnels that make the city aretusea second only to the eternal city. In 1869 the Hypogeum of Piazza Duomo was discovered, a long network of galleries and other underground passages that preserved the silver simulacrum of the patron Saint Lucia during the Second World War.

    The Piazza is dominated by the marvelous Cathedral, dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, with its sumptuous façade; the original building dates back to the seventh century and was a temple dedicated to Athena, but after the earthquake of 1693 it was renovated in Baroque style.
    The Duomo and the nearby Palazzo Vermexio or Palazzo del Senato were built on the remains of ancient Greek artefacts. On the left of the Duomo stands the Palazzo Senatorio, now the Town Hall, built by Andrea Vermexio between 1629 and 1633. On the right of the church we can admire the Bishop’s Palace, and later the Monastery and the Church of Santa Lucia. On the other side of the square there are the buildings of some private residences, such as Palazzo Gaetani, in front of the Palazzo Senatorio, and Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco.