Latomie du Paradis

Greek LITOS means stone and TEMNO, cut leading to the name of this ancient quarry.
The mine, dug underground from solid rock, provided the best stone from the deepest levels. Unfortunately for the miners who were prisoners working day and night on bread and water and never leaving the site. The Vth C Greek historian Tucidide records that after the Athenian defeat in the Port of Syracuse (413 BCE) 7000 prisoners were entombed in the mines. Of course, they probably had been prisoners chained to oars of the triremmes and welcomed their new fate which avoided drowning. In fact Plutarch reminds us of the Syracusan kindness in offering freedom to each man who could recite a verse of Euripides.
Only one pillar remains after the earthquake of 1693. Perched delicately on top are the remains of a mediaevil house. The outline elevations of more can still be seen on the rim of the quarry.
A squared off cavern in the base of the cliff was used until about 1900 as a workshop for rope making, as it provided the shade and humidity required. Next to it is this marvellous acoustic chamber which Caravaggio called the ear of Dionysius, supposedly after a tyrant who built it to house prisoners and keep tabs of their conversation. The marks of picks and chisels on its walls give the game away though: it was really dug from the back and top of the quarry following a vein of 'good' rock. It snakes in 65m, with a height of 23m at the front and 30m at the rear. Standing in the doorway the sounds inside appear to be amplified rather than echoed and I was very lucky that a couple of ladies in front of me decided to sing Schuberts Ave Maria to test it. Rotel better watch out.Les mer