Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica
The site consists of two separate parts and contains outstanding remains dating back to the Greek and Roman eras: the Pantalica Necropolis contains more than 5,000 tombs hewn around an open-air quarry, most of which date from the 13th to the 7th century BC. The area also preserves remains from the Byzantine era, especially the foundations of the Anaktolon (Prince's Palace). The other part of the site is Ancient Syracuse, which includes the core of the city of Ortygia, founded by Greeks from Corinth in the 8th century BC. Described by Cicero as "the greatest and most beautiful of the Greek cities", the city preserves remains of the Temple of Athena (5th century BC, later converted into a cathedral), a Greek theater, a Roman amphitheater, a fortress, and more. Many of the remains bear witness to Sicily's turbulent history, from the Byzantines to the Bourbons, with Arab Muslims, Normans, Frederick II of the Hohenstaufen (1197-1250), the Aragonese, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Historic Syracuse offers a unique testimony to the development of Mediterranean civilization over three thousand years.