Syracuse

Against the incredible backdrop of the sea the open-air amphitheatre at Syracuse is becoming a must- see for Flavours clients in Sicily. The city is famous for its rich Greek history and association to mathematician, inventor and scholar Archimedes. It played an important role in ancient times as one of the top powers of the Mediterranean world and was described by Cicero as ‘the greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all’. In its day it had a population of over 300 000. Now it houses only a third of that number but its proud 2700 year history is openly on display at every turn. There are ancient ruins to ramble through and the pretty harbour is one of the most picturesque seaside areas that we know.

Today Greek tragedies are still performed from May to July in the Amphitheatre but you don’t have to be a Greek classical scholar to be inspired by the beautiful surroundings and the real sense of history in this fabulous location, which seated a huge audience of 15000 people at its height when gladiator slaughtered each other to amuse the masses.

Local food delights include cheese made in Ragusa, almonds and wine from Avola and Pachino for cherry tomatoes as well as Sicily’s famous chocolate from Modica. Though it’s the multicultural influences that strike our clients most – Sicily has always been a truly international place from Arab invaders to Normans, the Greek and the Spanish - every visitor has left their mark on the region’s cookery and a day’s visit to Syracuse, as one of the region’s larger historic settlements really illustrates all those influences.

To visit Sicily with Flavours go to www.flavoursholidays.co.uk