Syracuse Cathedral: reviews, price 2026 and practical tips

A Greek temple inside the walls of a baroque cathedral

On Piazza Duomo, the highest point of the island of Ortygia, a baroque facade dominates the square and seems to tell a simple story: that of an 18th-century Sicilian church. You have to step inside, or walk along the northern flank of the building, to realize that it hides another, much older structure beneath.

Why visit Syracuse Cathedral

What stands before you was originally a Greek temple. In the 5th century BC, the tyrant Gelon had an Athenaion built here, a sanctuary dedicated to Athena to celebrate his victory over the Carthaginians at the Battle of Himera. The Doric building was a peripteral hexastyle: six columns on the facade, fourteen on the long sides.

The temple later became a Christian church, lost its furnishings during the Arab conquest, and was reconsecrated by the Normans in 1085. Following the earthquake of 1693, its facade was rebuilt in the Sicilian baroque style. This is the theatrical face, turned toward the square, that you encounter today.

The Doric columns visible in the walls

Inside, along the nave, nine Doric columns from the original Greek temple are integrated into the masonry. You can also spot them by walking along the building's exterior northern flank, where ancient stone surfaces between baroque additions. This integration is the result of restoration work carried out in 1925.

The floor of the central nave preserves a polychrome marble pavement from the 15th and 16th centuries. Baroque chapels, added in the 18th and 19th centuries, round out the visit, alongside the chapel of Saint Lucy, the patron saint of the city.

Friendly tip: The cathedral remains an active place of worship. Sightseeing visits are not allowed during services, particularly Sunday masses at 8am, 11:30am, and 7pm, so plan your visit outside those times.