Siracusa

Located on the southeastern shore of Sicily not far from Catania, we visited the town of Siracusa. We toured the Parco Archaelogico della Neapolis today and took some great photos of ancient ruins including the Roman Amphitheater (Teatro Romano), the Greek Amphitheater (Teatro Greco), and the Ear of Dionysus (Orrechi di Dioigni).

Thomas and I in front of the aqueduct intake at the Greek Theater.

The Roman Amphitheater which postdates the Greek Theater but is considerably more degraded. The Romans also utilized the Greek Theater and added their own special flourishes.

The Greek Theater is still in use today! The new season of shows begins in May so the workers were out in full force, erecting a stage and seating platforms over the existing ruins. The pictures are tainted by the modern architecture, but the ruins are nevertheless impressive. An ancient aqueduct intake at the very top of the theater is still currently flowing! The aqueduct is perhaps a Roman addition. I wondered how patrons could hear if they were sitting at that level. That flow was quite loud. I suspect they stopped the flow during the entertainment. [And, yes, it is possible to stop flow to an aqueduct!]

The Ear of Dionysus. You can actually walk inside! The cave amplifies event the smallest sound and at one time was an ancient prison.