Basilica of Saint Lucia 'al Sepolcro' — Attraction in Syracuse

Wonderful church. We got there about an hour before their siesta time which I think was 12:45. If you miss that cutoff, you have to wait until they reopen at 3pm. Bring some Euro change with you as there is a pay-per-light timer that lights up the Caravaggio (one of about 4 paintings in Sicily). We did not have change so we had to wait until someone lit it. The church staff are so friendly and passionate about the church. A pleasure to talk to them. We also did the catacombs of St Lucy and that was quite the interesting tour. Definitely a must do along...

The church is nice and of course the Caravaggio on the main altar. But cannot be approached closer, you can only observe from a distance and if the sunlight is not in your favor, you won't see much. The tomb is not too impressive, except the statue. The actual body of Santa Lucia is in Venice and this is a place of her martyrdom. The square with the park itself is an adventurous place with all sorts of weird or annoying people (beggars, drunks).Not dangerous but the church would fit better in Ortigia old town, this is a...

Must see if you are either devoted or an art lover, or both. The Caravaggio painting is truly a must see in this area of Sicily.

OPENING HOURS: in the morning from 9am(?) but in afternoon from 3:30pm until 7:00pm ( the website says from 2:30 but that is not accurate)

The church itself is simple, much less impressive than the other Santa Lucía church in Ortigia (30 mins walk the other way). The exterior piazza could do with some cleaning and upkeep. It’s a shame that such beautiful little park is full of...