- Details
Many monuments, archaeological sites, and museums in Sicily require the purchase of an entrance ticket to be visited. Fortunately, some categories of visitors or on certain days of the year can benefit from free admission, significantly reducing the budget required for a vacation or a day dedicated to cultural heritage. Below are some general information about free entry days. We specify that this article is for informational purposes only, and for detailed and updated information, it is necessary to contact directly the monument or museum you intend to visit.
Before looking at the days when a free admission ticket is issued, it is also important to specify that in Sicily, cultural heritage sites can be managed by different entities: the Sicilian Region, through the Department of Cultural Heritage, directly manages most of the archaeological areas, regional museums, and many monuments. In some cases, the ticketing service is subcontracted to private entities, but the managing entity remains the Region. Some cultural sites are managed by Municipalities, as well as some civic museums. For visits to catacombs or religious sites, reference should be made to the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, the archbishopric, or cooperatives entrusted with the service. Some sites are entrusted to private organizations or associations such as FAI or the Archeoclub. In Sicily, there are no cultural heritage sites managed by the Italian State or the Ministry of Culture, as Sicily is an autonomous region, and these sites are managed by the Region.
Museum Sundays in Sicily
Free entrance to the museums on the first Sunday of the month have been a regular event in Italy since 2014 for art and culture enthusiasts. At national level, free admission is granted to all sites managed by the Culture Ministry. Similarly, every first Sunday of the month in Sicily, free entry is granted to all archaeological sites, museums, and art galleries managed by the Sicilian Region. Although admission is free, visitors must still pass through the ticket office before entering to collect the €0 ticket. The initiative is limited to regional sites only. Among these, in southeastern Sicily, we mention:
Sunday at the Museum in the Province of Syracuse
- Archaeological area of the Neapolis - Syracuse
- "Paolo Orsi" Archaeological Museum - Syracuse
- Maniace Castle - Syracuse
- Bellomo Gallery - Syracuse
- Hypogeum of Piazza Duomo - Syracuse
- Euryalus Castle - Syracuse
- Villa del Tellaro - Noto
- Akrai and Palazzo Judica Museum - Palazzolo Acreide
- Archaeological area of Megara Hyblaea - Augusta
Sunday at the Museum in the Province of Ragusa
- Archaeological area of Cava d'Ispica - Modica
- Parco Forza - Ispica
- Hyblean Archaeological Museum - Ragusa
- Convent of the Cross in Scicli - Scicli
- Kamarina - Santa Croce Camerina
Sites managed by ecclesiastical entities (e.g., the Catacombs of San Giovanni), Municipalities (e.g., Civic Archaeological Museums), private entities (e.g., the Montalbano Commissioner’s Office), and associations, unfortunately, do not generally adhere to this initiative. However, we recommend contacting them as they may have different initiatives or offer free entry on other dates.
Other Free Admission Days to Regional Sites
In addition to the 12 annual "Sundays at the Museum" dates, some other fixed free admission days have been established in Sicily for the regional sites mentioned above. These include:
- March 8: International Women's Day (free admission only for female visitors)
- March 10: Sicilian Cultural Heritage Day (in memory of archaeologist and regional assessor Sebastiano Tusa)
Categories of Visitors Always Eligible for Free Entry to Regional Sites
In regional sites, certain visitor categories are always entitled to free entry upon presenting appropriate documentation at the ticket office. These include:
- School groups on trips, presenting a participant list issued by the school administration
- Tenured teachers with appropriate documentation
- Minors upon registration of a parent's document
- Disabled individuals and one accompanying person
- Tour guides
- EU University students of Cultural Heritage, Architecture, and related degrees
- Journalists in the exercise of their profession
- Carabinieri of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit
- Details
It may seem curious to dedicate a post to the difference between Siracusa (Syracuse) and Ortigia (Ortygia), especially considering some recent media gaffes that have also involved institutions preparing for the G7 Agriculture and Fisheries in Siracusa, scheduled for the end of September 2024. Several misunderstandings have arisen, starting from: the institutional campaign, which located the G7 in Ortigia instead of Siracusa, to the error made by the chief of staff of the Ministry of Agriculture who thanked the "mayor of Ortigia" in a recent press conference.
But we at Hermes Sicily Guides & Tours in our twenty and more years of experience, promoting and leading visitors to discover the beauties of Ortigia and Siracusa, have noticed that it is a frequent question among tourist and that it is not so clear if Siracusa and Ortigia are two different towns or not. We don't know the origin of this confusion, most likely the great media and tourist visibility that Ortigia has gained over the years and probably also the word of mouth from those who have already visited the town and have recommended "absolutely visit Ortigia".
At this point, however, we want to clarify in a simple way for the benefit of those planning a visit to our beautiful city:
- Details
Syracuse, is famous for its magnificent Greek theater, but the town preserves also another archaeological gem that is less known but equally evocative: the linear or rectilinear theater, studied by the Italian archaeologist Gino Vinicio Gentili. It is located on the southwestern side of the Temenite hill, at a short distance from the more famous Greek theater which is still used today for classical performances. The linear theater of Syracuse was studied in the 1950s by Gentili, who interpreted it as a small theatrical structure. Unlike the classic Greek theater, which is semicircular, this second "theater" has a rectilinear layout. The structure of the linear theater extends along a longitudinal axis. The rectilinear staircase, located just 100 meters from the Greek theater and the Neapolis archaeological area, faces south. Nowadays there are still 17 rows of seats of the koilon preserved and divided into 3 kerkides and 2 klimakes. The structure measures approximately 27x13 meters, and Gentili hypothesized two construction phases, the first of which included only 9 rows of seats. The construction of the modern road, the so-called "panoramica," cut off the continuity of the monument, which is now located outside the fence of the archaeological area. At present no archaeological digs where possible to obtain information about a possible orchestra or stage building. The period of use of the building is dated between the 6th and 3rd century B.C., with a terminus ante quem for its abandonment given by a small funerary hypogeum built at the base of the monument in the 3rd century B.C.
- Details
After several years of closure, one of the oldest sites of underground Ortigia reopens to the public. It is the Artemision, the Ionian temple of Syracuse dedicated to Artemis, the great goddess of the hunt. This temple was located at the highest point of the island of Ortigia, in the area that today corresponds to Piazza Duomo and stood next to the other great temple in the same area, the Athenaion, the temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, on which the cathedral of Syracuse was later built. While the remains of the Athenaion are still visible today from the square and the nearby Via Minerva, from which it is possible to admire the mighty Doric columns incorporated into the cathedral's walls, the same is not true for the Artemision.
The Ionian temple is located below Palazzo Vermexio, the current seat of the municipal building of Syracuse, and was discovered by archaeologist Paolo Orsi in 1910. A few years ago, a new architectural arrangement by Vincenzo Latina allowed the use of the basement and at the same time the view of the columns of the nearby Doric temple thanks to a specially designed pavilion. Then came the long closure, which will end on May 26, 2024, with the reopening to the public.
Underneath Palazzo Vermexio, you can admire the foundations of the temple and various other testimonies of ancient Syracuse. Artemis was one of the most beloved deities in the Corinthian colony and is closely connected to Syracuse in its most famous myth, that of Alpheus and Arethusa. Although Syracuse was founded by Dorian settlers, this slender and elegant temple was commissioned with elegant Ionian-style capitals.
The management of the monument is entrusted to Civita, and the site will be open to visitors from Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm with entrance from Via Minerva n.4. The admission fee for adults will be €5, with a reduction to €3 for several categories, €2 for residents and students, and free admission for disabled persons, tour guides, journalists, and accompanying teachers. The admission ticket also includes an audio guide in Italian and English. For more information, you can contact Civita at +39 335 7304378.
____
photo credits: S.Leggio/Clicksfromsicily.com
