The manmade Ear of Dionysius (Orecchio di Dionisio) is an enormous cave in the Neapolis (New City) archaeological park in Siracusa. It was a prison for centuries. Legend is that the ancient Greek tyrant Dionysius could hear prisoners’ whispers utilizing the former quarry’s acoustics.
Tag: quarry
Destination Interrupted
Pictured is my friend and May 2018 tour participant, Dominic, doing his best Hercules imitation at the Cave di Cusa, the quarry for the city of Selinunte. Those limestone blocks were intended for the base of columns of one of the temples of the ancient Greek city, now an outstanding archaeological park. We’ll be spending…
She’s A Tuff Mountain
Monte Catalfano hosted an important quarry, pictured, of a soft rock composed of volcanic materials such as ash, lava, and magma. This rock is known as Aspra tuff, or “tufa,” in Italian. Down the road from where this photo was taken, the villas of Bagheria such as Palagonia, Cattolica, Butera, Valguarnera, and Spedalotto were constructed…
White and Light
Lipari Island, the main island of the eight volcanic Aeolian islands, was the site of a major pumice stone industry for centuries. This hillside that cascades into the sea was a major quarry for the porous, white stone that is so light-weight, small pieces of it can float in the water. The quarry is now…
Aspra Tuff
Bagheria’s villas such as Palagonia, Cattolica, Butera, Valguarnera, and Spedalotto were constructed with Aspra tuff, or “tufa,” in Italian, from this centuries-old quarry on the side of Mount Catalfano. Tuff is a soft rock composed of volcanic materials such as ash, lava, and magma.