The Euryalus Fortress located in the

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa *Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco *Belvedere, Harare, Zim ...

, was the key point in the fortifications of the ancient Greek city of

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

. It is located on the highest point of the hill of Epipolae (about 120 metres above sea level), around 7 km northwest of Syracuse.

History

During the Athenian invasion of Sicily (415-413 BC), the fortress did not yet exist, but the strategic importance of the area was clear; the Athenians initially captured the hill, but their failure to retain it prevented them from effectively besieging the city. The name Euryalus is mentioned by

Thucydides Thucydides (; grc, , }; BC) was an Athenian historian and general. His ''History of the Peloponnesian War'' recounts the fifth-century BC war between Sparta and Athens until the year 411 BC. Thucydides has been dubbed the father of "scientifi ...

in the course of the first Athenian attack on the city. Later in his account, after the reconquest of Epipolae from the Athenians by the Syracusans, a Syracusan garrison on the site is mentioned. In light of this experience, the fortress was first established by Dionysius I, tyrant of Syracuse. Construction took place between 402 and 397 BC, with the intention that the fortress would protect the city from siege and attack by the

Carthaginians The Punic people, or western Phoenicians, were a Semitic people in the Western Mediterranean who migrated from Tyre, Phoenicia to North Africa during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' – the Latin equivalent of the ...

. Various renovations were subsequently undertaken in response to developments in siege weaponry, under Agathocles and

Hiero II Hiero II ( el, Ἱέρων Β΄; c. 308 BC – 215 BC) was the Greek tyrant of Syracuse from 275 to 215 BC, and the illegitimate son of a Syracusan noble, Hierocles, who claimed descent from Gelon. He was a former general of Pyrrhus of Epirus a ...

. After the Roman conquest of the city in 212 BC by Marcus Claudius Marcellus, the fortress continued to be modified until the Byzantine period when parts of it were torn apart in order to repair the rest in light of

Muslim invasion Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...

. In 1939, King Victor Emmanuel III visited the monument in an official capacity. In 1941, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the artefacts in the Syracuse archaeological museum were carried by mule to the fortress and hidden in its tunnels, so that they would be safe from aerial bombardment. On 30 September 2016, an antiquarium was opened on the site, after a long closure resulting from the

Santa Lucia earthquake Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

of 1990. This building contains some of the discoveries from the site, including a sword, a helmet, and the missiles from a stone-throwing catapult.

Description

Moats

The entrance to the fortress is protected by three ditches and one lateral ditch. The first and smallest ditch is 6 metres long and 4 metres deep (see A on the map below). The second is 86 metres away from the first and is around 50 metres long (B). It defends a forward bastion, behind which is a third ditch which is 17 metres long and 9 metres deep (D) which links the defensive system with the tunnels. In the south part of this ditch, there is a draw bridge which allows one to cross the ditch from one set of fortifications to the other (C and E). There was also an internal staircase which allowed access to C from ditch D. Finally, on the south side, there was a fourth ditch (H), which protected the shallowest part of the lateral slope of Epipolae. Tunnels link this ditch with ditch D.

Fortifications

Between the ditches is the central fortress which has a rectangular shape (G, erroneously listed as "C" on the map). Beyond ditch D, the central fortress which was open in the Greek period, is closed by five square towers (), which were probably about 15 metres high with crenellations on top as well as 4th century BC rainwater spouts in the shape of lions' heads, now kept in the

Museo Paulo Orsi The Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi of Syracuse, Sicily is one of the principal archaeological museums of Europe. History In 1780 the Bishop Alagona inaugurated the ''Museo del Seminario'' which became the ''Museo Civico'' near the archb ...

. The towers were probably platforms for catapults. Near the central fortress there are three large cisterns which could provide water in the event of a siege. Mappa del Castello Eurialo sull'Epipoli

Beyond the central fortress, there is a large wall, where the entrance to the castle was (called the Tryolon because it is made up of three gates) at the east end, which is about 5 metres thick which links the whole complex to the

Dionysian walls The Apollonian and the Dionysian are philosophical and literary concepts represented by a duality between the figures of Apollo and Dionysus from Greek mythology. Its popularization is widely attributed to the work ''The Birth of Tragedy'' by Fri ...

. It was defended by further towers and a double vaulted entranceway. The west end was linked to the fortress at a high point of the plateau, near a cistern and a watchtower.

Strategic elements

The whole construction consists of different strategic elements which serve to surprise attackers. The complex system of galleries allowed troops to move from one part of the fortress to another without being seen from outside. The ditches on the north side of the castle are visible only when one is very close to them, so that in an attack, there would have been a real danger of falling in and being killed by sentries, especially during rapid assaults. Additionally, there are many places in which it is possible to conceal defending troops in ambush - like the large number of galleries The was built in a way that limits frontal attacks on the city and such that the Dionysian walls limited line-of-sight to the right of the gate, as well as attacks with battering rams. The side towers and the fortifications also limit the effectiveness of an attack. The gate is linked to a gallery which allows movement between ditch D and H. Ricostruzione del castello Eurialo

Gallery

File:Crupi, Giovanni (1849-1925) - n. 398 - Epipoli - Siracusa.jpg, The pentapylon in a photo by

Giovanni Crupi Giovanni Crupi (1859–1925) was an Italian photographer of landscapes, active in Taormina and Egypt (in Heliopolis). Biography Giovanni Crupi was originally an amateur photographer. It became his profession in 1885. He was a friend and co ...

. File:0934 - Siracusa - Castello Eurialo - Bastione e Pentapylon - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 17-Oct-2008.jpg, The pentapylon today File:0930 - Siracusa - Castello Eurialo - Secondo fossato - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto - 17-Oct-2008.jpg, The remains of the imposing second ditch File:Crupi, Giovanni (1849-1925) - n. 671 - Siracusa - Epipoli.jpg, The third ditch in a photo by Giovanni Crupi. File:Antiquarium Castello Eurialo 06.jpg, Vitrine File:Antiquarium Castello Eurialo 09.jpg, Helmet File:Antiquarium Castello Eurialo 03.jpg, Fragments of pottery File:Spada in metallo.jpg, Sword and spearheads

References

{{Authority control Ancient Syracuse Ancient Greek fortifications