The Duomo, the cathedral in Syracuse, is certainly a unique church! Built by Corinthians in the 5th century before Christ as a temple to Athena, it became a Christian church under Byzantium around the 7th or 8th century (reputed as the oldest Christian church in Europe – it is written in Latin in big letters on both inner walls of the nave!), then a Great Mosque under the Arabs for a few centuries, then again a Christian Church when the Normans conquered the Island and under the Europeans thereafter! Not to talk about what was discovered underneath, a century or so ago, that would point to it as an earlier site of various religious cults…
The interior is fascinating: stripped of any kind of Baroque ornaments early in the 20th century, it is very plain, featuring the original arches added under Byzantium that form the nave, and Doric columns on the outer walls that would have formed the “péristyle” of the temple of Athena! It is quite contrasting from its Baroque façade, added much later on, that is so common around here…Interesting to note that the only remnants of Islamic times are battlements outside on the North side of the roof. What is not clear to us is how much the church suffered from the 1693 earthquake – it did suffer – and how much reconstruction has occurred…We missed out on the Apollo Temple, North of the island (that is Ortygia)…and the Greek and Roman theatres (that will be for another visit…)
Lunch at the reputed Don Camillo restaurant on Ortygia (we shared a penne and tuna as antipasti, and a slice of swordfish prepared à la Syracuse for primi platti, with a bottle of white 2009 Santagostino (50% Chardonnay; 50% Cataratto) from the Firriato winery in Tripani). Lots of cachet (under immense stone arches). Excellent food – the swordfish was far from its usual dry – and very good wine; well advised by the sommelier…who does not seem to care much though! Only a few dinners – all tourists. Good but probably overrated on the whole!
Dinner back in Scicli at La Grotta; a dish of chesnuts – unusual – and succulent ravioli of ricotta cheese, with white house wine; honest.
December 27, 2010
