Siracusa was once a city-state, and the center of everything in the Ancient World: learning, trade, art, geopolitics, architecture, and culture. At one time or another it was the premier city of Greece, the Moorish capital of Sicily, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and a hub of Christianity and Judaism. The entire city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so there is much to see packed into this corner of the island. Visit the Neapolis Archaeological Park with a local guide and peruse the largest Greek amphitheater ever built, carved into the side of a hill in the 3rd century; proceed to the Latomia del Paradiso (Paradise Quarry) to see the catacombs and the Ear of Dionysius, a cave with an opening shaped like an elfin ear, 70 feet high; because of its amazing acoustics, the grotto may have been a theater or a prison, depending on whether you believe legend or the rogue artist-rascal, Caravaggio; then take a guided walking tour through Ortygia, a romantic island in the heart of the city dense with palazzi, charming piazzas, ancient temples, Byzantine churches, sidewalk cafes, and seaside promenades, where your stops include the ruined Temple of Apollo, and the Duomo, a Baroque masterpiece built over the Temple of Athena. You'll also drive to the city of Noto, an enclave of antiquity as old as Siracusa; leveled by an earthquake in 1693, the town was entirely rebuilt in the 18th century, and is known today as the Capital of Baroque, a stately showcase of Sicilian Baroque architecture, operatic in its grandeur, adorned with carvings, columns, and statuary, and aglow in warm, honey-hued limestone; a guided walking tour will take you from the public gardens to the main attractions along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele, including the Church of St. Dominic, the Church of St. Charles, the Ducezio Palace, and the centerpiece Cathedral of San Nicolo at the top of a grand staircase in the main square. Enjoy free time to explore on your own then return to your ship for lunch, and spend the afternoon at leisure in Ortygia. Tonight, join the captain's welcome reception and dinner as you sail for Taormina. ...
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