Syracuse Cathedral (Duomo di Siracusa)

🏛️ A 2,700-Year Architectural Palimpsest • 5th century BC: Built as the Temple of Athena (Doric columns still embedded in walls!) • 7th century AD: Converted into a church by Bishop Zosimo • 878 AD: Became a mosque under Arab rule • 1086 AD: Reclaimed as a church by Normans (added gold mosaics) • 1725-53: Baroque facelift after Sicily’s earthquake 🌋 🔍 Must-See Details 1️⃣ Athena’s Bones The original Doric columns still hold up the nave—touch stone that Plato wrote about! 2️⃣ Norman-Noggin Ceiling Wooden ship-hull vaulting from the 12th century 🚢 3️⃣ Baroque Bling Gilt altars + Ignazio Marabitti’s statues striking dramatic poses 📜 Ghosts in the Stone • Cicero once prosecuted a Roman governor for looting this temple 💰 • The floor hides pre-Greek foundations (see artifacts at Paolo Orsi Museum) #SicilyLayerCake #GodsToMadonnas #WorldHeritage