“Despite its state of neglect, it still remains one of the most beautiful places in the world and offers the most grandiose and picturesque show there is.” (Vivant Denon, Voyage en Sicile, 1788) The Greek Theatre is the greatest example of the theatrical architecture of the Greek West. It has the distinction of being almost entirely carved into the rock. In addition to performances, as was customary for the ancient Greeks, the theater was used for popular assemblies. After being adapted in imperial times to circus games, the theater fell into neglect. In the 16th century, as well as the other classical monuments, it was plundered by Spanish workers of Charles V who used the good stone already cut to erect the fortifications of Ortigia, the excavations, which began at the end of the eighteenth century and lasted throughout the following century were completed only in the middle of the twentieth century, showing it to visitors in its astonishing beauty

The Lacrimation took place in Syracuse, from 29 August to 1 September 1953, in the home of two young spouses, Angelo Iannuso and Antonina Lucia Giusto; Antonina, had a difficult pregnancy, with recurrent decreases in vision: around three in the morning of 29 August her eyesight disappeared completely, returning to normal at 8.30 in the morning, when Antonina saw tears falling on the face of a plaster Madonna, placed at the head of the bed. The half-bust in enamelled plaster depicting the Madonna showing her Immaculate Heart, was a gift received for the wedding, the Lacrimation was repeated at least 58 times the news spread quickly making Iannuso home a destination for incessant pilgrimages. The temple started in 1988 was inaugurated on November 6, 1994 by St. John Paul II, is about 103 meters high and has a diameter of 71.40 meters. The shape of the Shrine is an expression of the concept and sense of humanity’s elevation to God and Mary, a light that leads to Jesus

The regional archaeological museum Paolo Orsi in Syracuse is one of the main archaeological museums in Europe.

Ortigia is the toponym of the island that constitutes the oldest part of the city of Syracuse. It is flanked to the east by some rocks, including a wider but almost entirely submerged one historically known as the Isle of Dogs. The island of Ortigia is geologically part of the Hyblaean mountains.[3] Under its limestone rock flows fresh water, fed by a deep Hyblean water table.