Piazza Duomo is considered one of the most beautiful squares in Italy: a crescent-shaped baroque stage, entirely paved in white stone, born on the highest and most sacred point of the island.
The acropolis of Greek Syracuse stood here: beneath the paving, remains of Bronze Age huts and the foundations of an unfinished Ionic temple have been found. Every era of the city has left a layer under this square.
After the 1693 earthquake the square was redesigned like a theatre set: the Cathedral, Palazzo Vermexio (the Town Hall), Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco and the church of Santa Lucia alla Badia form a continuous backdrop of golden limestone baroque facades.
In the evening the square is transformed: the illuminated facades and the café tables make it one of the most atmospheric places to end your day in Ortigia.
Practical tips
- Beneath the square you can visit the Hypogeum of Piazza Duomo, an underground route also used as an air-raid shelter in World War II.
- The most beautiful moment is the blue hour, when the lights come on across the facades.
