Siracusa

If you are a Greek history buff, take this 128-kilometer detour to see one of the wealthiest, most powerful cities of the ancient Greek Empire (rivaling only Athens in importance). When you reach Catania, don’t turn west toward Palermo, but continue south, following signs to Siracusa, founded in 734 B.C. by . the Corinthians. In the Archaeological Park at the edge of town are two theaters—a 6^th-century B.C. Greek Theater (one of the most magnificently preserved in the world) and the ruins of a 2^nd-century A.D. Roman Amphitheater (one of the largest arenas the Romans ever built). From the Archaeological Park, skip the sprawling modern city and cross the Ponte Nuovo that spans Siracusa’s harbor to Ortygia, the island where the Greeks first founded Siracusa. Visit the two main squares, the beautiful Piazza del Duomo where the cathedral (built upon the ancient temple of Minerva) is located and the Piazza Archimede enhanced by a baroque fountain.