SIRACUSA, Sicily - 1 of 3

The city is notable for its rich Greek and Roman history, culture, amphitheatres, architecture, and as the birthplace and home of the pre-eminent mathematician and engineer Archimedes. This 2,700-year-old city played a key role in ancient times, when it was one of the major powers of the Mediterranean world.

TEMPLE OF APOLLO
It is the oldest doric peripterus stone temple in Sicily (6th century B.C.).
Oriented in the E-W direction, it had a second row of monolithic columns on the main façade; the cell was divided into three naves by a double colonnade on two floors.

A dedicatory inscription is visible on the last step of the ancient entrance.
Over the centuries, the temple was transformed into a Byzantine church, Arab mosque, Norman church and Spanish military barracks, until, after the Fascist period, it was freed from the buildings that had hidden it.Read more