Latomia del Paradiso

Latomia del Paradiso is the great ancient quarry hollow inside Syracuse's archaeological zone. Stone was cut here from the sixth century BC, leaving a green, steep-sided space that feels very different from the nearby theatre and amphitheatre.

The best-known chamber here is the Ear of Dionysius, but the quarry itself is worth treating as a separate stop: it shows the scale of the labour that built Greek Syracuse.

things to do sight archaeology history