Arch of Augustus
To this day, there is still a very small part of this arch. The archaeological excavations carried out in the 1950s near the Anfiteatro romano di Siracusa have brought to light the remains of the two pillars (masonry structure or similar, which is the support of arches) of this arch, with the front parts facing east and west.
The chronology of the arch has been ascertained and it was built shortly after the foundation of the colony in 21 BC.
Angular pillars or columns may have been applied to the eastern part of the arch, while the western front may not have had an applied order.
The arch was about 13 metres high, 10 metres wide and 6 metres deep.
On the lower part, for both pylons, three layers of bricks called “rows” were identified, plus four blocks of the fourth row in the south pylon.
It was built from blocks of white limestone, worked externally with rusticated ashlar (protruding stone used to decorate buildings and monuments).
Filippo Coarelli (Italian archaeologist) refers to the arch as a fragment of a marble relief found at the end of the last century near the amphitheatre, in which there is, perhaps, the scene of a sacrificial ceremony of four characters with the Roman toga moving to the left.
Over the centuries the arch underwent some changes, at the end of the seventh century AD there was the construction of a staircase on the east facade with the raising of the plane of the archway.
Thanks to its position it is thought that in ancient times, the purpose of the arch was to separate the district Acradina, from that of Neapolis, this because the monument is flanked to the north and south by areas used as neighborhoods, and was located at the end of an important road Syracuse, today’s Viale Paolo Orsi.
OPENING HOURS AND PRICES
Location: Viale Paradiso – Parco Archeologico della Neapolis
Contacts.: +39 0931 489511
Archaeological site without architectural barriers
First Sunday of each month free entry.
Entry ticket to the Archaeological Park: Adults € 10.00 – Reduced € 5.00 (under 18 years) – Free entrance up to the age of 12.
Combined ticket for the Archaeological Park + a museum of your choice between the Paolo Orsi Museum or the Palazzo Bellomo Gallery – Ticket price: € 13.50 – Reduced € 7.00 (under 18) – Free admission until the age of 12
Opening hours of the ticket office: from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm
PARK OPENING HOURS: from 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m.
From May 10 to July 18 the schedule may vary, on the occasion of the tragedie greche that will be performed at the Greek theater.
