4. BYZANTINE ITINERARY

Sicily became part of the Byzantine Empire in 535 A.D. under General Belisarius. Siracusa became capital of the Western Roman Empire in 663. Emperor Constans II transferred his Court there until his death, in 668. Byzantine architecture has left few traces in the city. It was customary to utilize the ancient Doric temples as a base for the construction of new churches. Striking evidence of this is the Duomo (Cathedral) of Siracusa: the body of the edifice was, in fact, obtained by opening up arches in the walls of the cella; along the peristyle the columns were joined together by walls. It is important to note that in subsequent epochs the buildings were modified to such an extent that the most significant Byzantine elements were obliterated.

SIRACUSA

The Cathedral (partially), the Temple of Apollo (stairway and baptismal basin), the Churches of San Martino and Santa Lucia al Sepolcro, the hypogea in the region of the Greek Theater, and remains in the first room of the Bellomo Museum.

PANTALICA

In the Byzantine period, due to the fear of Arab incursions, some prehistoric tombs of Pantalica ("Necropoli della Cavetta") were used as residences. Among the remains: the small rupestrian church of San Micidario, decorated with frescoes, and the small church of San Nicolocchio.

SAN LORENZO LO VECCHIO

Small Byzantine Basilica.

VENDICARI

The Citadel of the Maccari.