Parco archeologico di Naxos

On the lava promontory of Capo Schisò lie the walls, streets and sanctuaries of ancient Naxos, the first Greek colony in Sicily. The archaeological park brings together its urban remains, the museum collections and the ancient naval arsenal overlooking the bay.

Why it matters

Naxos was founded around 734 BC by Chalcidians from Euboea, joined by settlers from the Cycladic island of Naxos. The colony’s fortifications, sanctuaries, workshops and shipyard preserve evidence of early Greek urban life in Sicily. In 403 BC, Dionysius I of Syracuse destroyed the city after it sided with Athens.

What to notice

The city walls were built from rough lava blocks and measured up to 4.6 metres thick; four gates pierced the fortifications. Near the mouth of the Santa Venera stream stood an archaic sanctuary. Kilns used to produce terracottas testify to local craft activity, and finds from the site are displayed in the adjacent museum. In the bay, the naval arsenal, or neorion, preserves four parallel slipways with sand ramps for supporting ships.

Context and history

A foundation tradition recorded by the ancient historian Ephorus tells of Theocles, whose ship was driven to the Sicilian coast by winds. Naxos prospered during the Archaic period and produced some of Sicily’s earliest coinage from the late sixth century BC, including issues bearing Dionysus and grapes. In the early fifth century BC, Hieron of Syracuse refounded the city on a regular plan. After its destruction in 403 BC, urban life shifted across the bay to the settlement that became Taormina. The archaeological remains at Capo Schisò preserve this sequence from foundation to destruction.