Experts' Choice Award Syracuse Cathedral
What the experts agree on
Syracuse Cathedral ingeniously repurposes a 5th-century Greek temple to Athena, with original Doric columns still visible throughout. It was Christianized in the 7th century and rebuilt after the devastating 1693 earthquake, creating a uniquely
“Built on the skeleton of a 5th-century BC Greek temple to Athena (note the Doric columns still visible inside and out), Syracuse's cathedral became a church when the island was evangelised by St Paul.”
– Lonely Planet
Michelin Guide 2 Stars
"This was first a temple built in honour of Athena then transformed into a church in the 7C; it was remodelled in the Norman era, before collapsing in the earthquake of 1693." Full review
