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 Greek
Italy
Much of
Southern Italy was colonised by Greeks 2500 years
ago, and these areas form what we still know today
as Magna Grecia
 (Greater
Greece). As a result, Southern Italy became a centre
of Greek culture, music, and language for hundreds
of years. Naples, for example, was
a city founded by the Greeks, and it's name derives
from the Greek Nea Polis
(New City). Naples was also a Greek speaking town
until the 9th century BC. Greece has in the past
also been occupied by Romans and Italians.
(learn more about Roman Greece...)
To this day, we can see the Greek influence
in Italy, and Italian influence in Greece, through
architecture, music, food and language.
Architecture
Naples & Campania
Naples
Naples is an ancient Greek city, with a 'secret
abandoned' underground city, where there are many
original city walls, and even a
Greek-Roman theatre
where the famous
Emperor Nero used to perform opera!
The underground city can be visited on
guided tours organised by
Napoli Sottoteranea -'Napoli
Underground' (photo below right) In Piazza Bellini
in the centre, you can also see some Greek ruins of
the original city. (see photo below left)
Visit
Napoli Sotterranea
website
Visit
here for a
tour of the remains of Greek roman Naples
Greek Naples: Two Tales
of One City
Paestum
A
UNESCO World Heritage
site, this used to be the ancient Greek city of
Poseidonia, and has three of the
most beautifully preserved Doric temples in the
world, including the Temple of Poseidon,
which is regarded to be the most beautiful Doric
temple in Greece or Italy. See alsoTemple
of Athena below.
Sicily
Agrigento
- Valle dei Templi (Valley of Temples)
One of the most important archelogical sites in the
world, and is a
UNESCO World Heritage
site. There are many Doric Greek temples just
outside the main centre of Agrigento, including
Temple of Hercules (bottom left), Temple of
Zeus and Temple of Concord (bottom
right)
 more
photos...
Siracusa
This Sicilian town was an ancient Greek town.
The Greeks arrived here in 734BC and named the small
Island of Ortigia in
Siracusa after 'ortgyia', the Greek word for
'quail', as it was 'quail shaped'. (how did they
know what it looked like from above...?) They also
built various temples, such as the
Temple of Apollo in the central Piazza
Pancali, and the Temple of Athena.
They also built the Arethusa
fountain, (first bottom photo) named after the
legendary nymph of Arethusa,
which is now a 'hangout' for local youngsters. Also,
inland from the main Siracusa
centre, they built the biggest theatre in Sicily.
(second photo bottom)
Segesta Here
the Greeks built a (now abandoned) temple and
amphitheathre, dating back to 5BC (photo below)
Taormina
Here, the Greeks built a magnificent theatre, of
which is there are views of both Messina
and the sea, and the snowy caps of Etna.
Click
here to see
a Greek map of Sicily
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