Siracusa

Siracusa on the Italian island of Sicily, is the capital of the Italian province of Syracuse. It is located on the southern end of the eastern coast of this triangular island. The hills in the west of Syracuse consist of limestone and are karstified, so there are several caves. There is a large aquifer of sweet water which is of great importance on the dry island. The coastal plain around Syracusa is covered by impermeable sediments, so the water has no possibility to resurface. Most of the water flows underground to the Mediterranean Sea and forms submarine springs. But there are a few springs, where a small part of the aquifer comes to the surface and flows on the surface to the sea. The most spectacular spring is located on an island in the harbour of the city, which is the historic city center. The caves below the plain are waterfilled and not accessible.

The underground sites of the city are artificial, mostly catacombs and cave churches. However, most underground sites originate from Greek settlement in this area about 600 BC. The Greek needed stone for their temples and buildings, and so they started numerous underground quarries, where they mined the limestone. Later those underground quarries were extended or used for other purposes.