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Visit Siracusa for a fascinating excursion on school trips to Sicily Sicily is a fascinating destination for students with a real interest in history and classics, thanks to its collection of archaeological sites and ancient buildings. Many of the most memorable are to be found in Siracusa in the south-east of the island. Few places in Europe can claim to have had as varied a past as this beautiful city that overlooks the Ionian Sea. It has been inhabited by some of the most influential civilisations and its inhabitants were involved in a number of notorious battles. It is believed people have lived in the area since the Bronze Age, although the first formal settlement was not set up until 734 BC when Corinthian travellers established a village close to a stretch of fertile land. It grew into one of the most powerful Greek cities in the Mediterranean area and Siracusa's reputation was firmly established when its forces won the Battle of Himera against the Carthaginians in 480 BC. Perhaps inevitably, it was seized by the Romans in 212 BC and became part of the other great classical civilisation. Siracusa then endured a turbulent period, during which it was ruled by the Vandals, Byzantines, Aghlabids, Normans and Swabians. Each culture has left its mark on the city, which makes it a great place to visit during classics tours of Italy. While many of the sights that date from the later civilisations are interesting to see, it is likely to be the Greek and Roman remains that are most relevant to the syllabus. There are so many archaeological features from those eras here that the city and the nearby Necropolis of Pantalica - a site with 5,000 Bronze Age tombs cut into a rock face - have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Perhaps the highlight of a trip to Siracusa is viewing the vast Greek theatre, which remains largely intact despite having been built in the 5th century BC. It is easy to imagine the venue packed with thousands of people watching performances of the works of Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. The remains of a Roman amphitheatre can be found nearby, although it is not as well preserved as the Greek arena. You will also discover the Altar of Hieron, where animals were sacrificed to mark public festivals, and Temple of Athena, together with the infamous stone quarries, where thousands of Athenian soldiers captured during the ill-fated Sicilian Expedition were put to work. To find out more about classics tours to Sicily and other European destinations, get in touch with Equity School Travel.
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