Pantalica & Akrai
Akrai and the necropolis of Pantalica are found in the Hyblaean Mountains, an area full of wild flowers and almond trees. Amongst the most significant urban…
Akrai and the necropolis of Pantalica are found in the Hyblaean Mountains, an area full of wild flowers and almond trees. Amongst the most significant urban remains of Akrai, a sub-colony of Syracuse, are the basis of a Doric temple, a superb Greek theatre and an acropolis dedicated to Aphrodite. In the nearby quarries, traces of defunct worship that precede the Hellenestic period are visible. Pantalica’s limestone cliffs are riddled with tombs dating back to the Bronze Age. Some of the first colonists lived in huts made of wood, but their ruler lived in a palace on the plateau. The site has been excavated, and part of the foundations of this palace erected in the 12th century B.C.E. can be seen. Numerous catacombs from the Byzantine period are found in the vicinity.