Syracuse Cathedral (Duomo di Siracusa) stands on Piazza Duomo on the island of Ortigia, and it is quite literally built out of a Greek temple. The Doric columns of the Temple of Athena, raised in the early 5th century BC, still hold up the walls of the church: you can see them from the street along Via Minerva and lining the aisles inside. In front of them stands a Baroque façade rebuilt after the earthquake of 1693.
Syracuse Cathedral at a glance
- Where: Piazza Duomo on Ortigia, the island that forms the old town of Syracuse, with the cathedral's north side along Via Minerva.
- Built: the Temple of Athena in the early 5th century BC; turned into a church in the 7th century; façade rebuilt in 1725–1753.
- By: the architect Andrea Palma (Baroque façade), with statues by the sculptor Ignazio Marabitti.
- What it is today: the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Syracuse and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Syracuse and the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica', listed in 2005.
- Time needed: 30–45 minutes, plus a walk round the outside.
From Athena's temple to a Christian cathedral
The temple of Athena is traditionally linked to Gelon, the tyrant of Syracuse who defeated the Carthaginians at Himera in 480 BC. It was a Doric temple with six columns on the short sides and 14 on the long ones. Cicero described its rich decoration, with paintings of the kings and tyrants of Sicily and doors adorned with gold and ivory, and the ancient writer Athenaeus mentions a huge gilded shield of Athena on the roof that caught the sun and served as a beacon for sailors.
In the 7th century Bishop Zosimus turned the temple into a church: the gaps between the outer columns were walled up and arches were opened in the walls of the old inner chamber to form the nave and aisles. Under Arab rule from 878 the building was stripped of its decoration and used as a mosque; after the Normans took Syracuse in 1086 it became a church again, and the nave roof dates from that period. The earthquake of 1693 brought down the façade and bell tower, and Andrea Palma's new front of 1725–1753 is one of the late works of Sicilian Baroque.
What to look for
- The temple columns on Via Minerva: walk along the north side of the cathedral to see the fluted Doric columns set into the medieval wall, with the ancient architrave and triglyphs still visible above them.
- Inside, the massive Doric columns along the aisles. Look closely at the flutes: these are the same columns that stood around Athena's temple some 2,500 years ago.
- The façade: Corinthian columns on two levels, Marabitti's statues of St Lucy, the city's patron, and St Marcian, its first bishop, a statue of the Virgin Mary in the upper niche, and Saints Peter and Paul on tall bases either side of the steps.
- The medieval marble baptismal font, and in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament a ciborium designed by Luigi Vanvitelli.
- Antonello Gagini's marble Madonna of the Snow from 1512, one of the finest Renaissance sculptures in the church.
St Lucy and her silver statue
The cathedral keeps the relics and the silver statue of St Lucy, a young Christian of Syracuse who, according to tradition, was martyred in 304. The statue, made by Pietro Rizzo in 1599, leaves the cathedral twice a year. On 13 December it is carried through the streets to the church of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro, where tradition places her burial, and brought back a week later. On the first Sunday of May, the feast known as Santa Lucia delle Quaglie (St Lucy of the Quails) remembers a miracle attributed to her during a famine in 1646, when a ship loaded with grain arrived in the harbour.
Tips for your visit
- Start outside on Via Minerva before going in: the columns are easiest to understand from the street.
- Dress respectfully, with shoulders and knees covered, and avoid visiting during Mass.
- Come back to Piazza Duomo after dark. The pale limestone façades are lit up and the square is one of the most beautiful in Sicily for an evening walk.
Nearby
- Santa Lucia alla Badia: the Baroque church at the southern end of the same square, dedicated to the city's patron saint.
- Palazzo Vermexio: the 17th-century town hall on Piazza Duomo. Look for the small lizard carved on the cornice, said to be the signature of its architect, Giovanni Vermexio; remains of an Ionic temple were found beneath it.
- Fountain of Arethusa: the freshwater spring by the sea with papyrus plants and ducks, a few minutes' walk south-west.
- Temple of Apollo: thought to be the oldest Doric temple in Sicily, near the bridges to the mainland, about 10 minutes' walk north.
See Syracuse with World City Trail
Our Syracuse scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 36 minutes of walking. It takes you through Ortigia and past the Archimedes monument, the Foro Siracusano and the church of San Tommaso al Pantheon.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Syracuse.
Play the Syracuse scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Syracuse →
Play the outdoor escape game in Syracuse →
Facts checked in October 2026.