Identity: Ortigia, Saint Lucy, ancient drama
The heart of the city is Ortigia, an island inhabited for three thousand years, with the Cathedral born from the temple of Athena. The patron Saint Lucy is celebrated on 13 December with the procession of the silver statue to the basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro and the return to the cathedral on the 20th. The Greek Theatre hosts INDA's season every year.
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Ortigia
Ortigia is the island where Syracuse was born and on which the later city developed. Dionysius I made it a military fortress in 405 BC; the temple of Athena, built to celebrate Gelon's victory over the Carthaginians, became a church and then the Baroque cathedral. The temple of Apollo, from the sixth century BC, is described by UNESCO as the oldest Doric temple in Western Greece.
Saint Lucy
On 9 December the patron saint's silver statue is displayed in her chapel in the cathedral. On 13 December the procession of the relics and the statue crosses the city for several hours to the basilica of Santa Lucia al Sepolcro, with stops at the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime and the Umberto I hospital and fireworks at the Ponte Umbertino. After eight days in the basilica, on 20 December the Saint returns to the cathedral.
Ancient drama
The INDA Foundation (National Institute of Ancient Drama), based in Syracuse, stages Greek tragedies and comedies in the Greek Theatre, with evening performances between May and June; the 2027 season is the sixty-second. INDA also runs an Academy, a Youth Festival and the magazine "Dioniso".
Data
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-13
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