Piazza Duomo

On the high ground of Ortigia, Syracuse’s Piazza Duomo brings together a cathedral built within a Greek temple of Athena, Baroque palaces and the church of the city’s patron saint. Its present character reflects the rebuilding that followed the 1693 earthquake.

Why it matters

The Cathedral of the Nativity of Mary Most Holy incorporates columns from the Doric temple of Athena. The temple was raised in thanksgiving for Gelon’s victory over the Carthaginians around 480 BC and has served a Christian religious use since the sixth century. Around the cathedral stand the former Senate Palace, Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco, the Archbishop’s complex and the Church of Santa Lucia alla Badia. The square’s buildings and ancient remains show how the city’s religious and civic centre was reshaped after the 1693 earthquake.

What to notice

The Doric columns of the Athena temple remain visible in the cathedral’s south flank and continue within its nave walls. Around the square, the former Senate Palace, Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco and Santa Lucia alla Badia frame the cathedral. The square occupies the upper ground of Ortigia, the site of ancient Syracuse’s acropolis and an enduring setting for civic and religious ceremonies.

Context and history

The temple of Athena stood on Ortigia’s acropolis by about 480 BC. It entered Christian use as a church from the sixth century, and its columns remain part of the cathedral. The earthquake of 1693 was followed by Baroque rebuilding across the island. In 2005 Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Piazza Duomo continues to host civic and religious ceremonies, including the feast of Santa Lucia.