2015-07-12

The Necropolis of Pantalica contains over 5000 tombs dug in the rock

La necropoli rupestre di Pantalica, The Necropolis Pantalica in the province of Siracusa in Sicily, Italy and consisting of thousands of graves dug in the rock in five different places along the limestone promontory surrounded of the deep gorge where the river flows Anapo. The Necropolis of Pantalica contains over 5000 tombs.

Pantalica le tomb. Photo credit Pietro Columba

A Pre-Greek settlement which has five chronological groups of the Bronze Age, from the 13th to 8th centuries BC. The only urban testimony that remains of Thapsos Anaktoron period is a kind of fortified palace. Not surprisingly, the Rocky Necropolis of Pantalica a member since 2005 of the list of World Heritage.

La necropoli rupestre di Pantalica, The necropolis Pantalica lays for about 80 hectares and it is surrounded by canyons formed by the two rivers that run through it, perched on a plateau at the base of which we find the Valle dell’Anapo. The site is included in three naturalistic landscape sites, which are the Nature Reserve Pantalica, the Valley dell’Anapo and Torrente Cava Grande.

Pantalica became known as the city of the dead, being relegated to the background in history, until Paolo Orsi, more famous Sicilian anthropologist recovers from oblivion. They have counted more than 5,000 tombs, made as small caves dug into the walls of the rocky slopes, and reminiscent of the holes of the honeycomb.