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All 42 Syracuse Attractions »

Catacombs of St. John (Catacombe di San Giovanni)

Piazza San Giovanni | Archeological zone, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy
0931-665-71
Ranked #11 of 35 attractions in Syracuse
4.5 of 5 stars 29 Reviews
Type: Cemeteries
Description: Descend into this maze of eerie tunnels niched with early Christian tombs hidden beneath the roofless, flower-filled ruins of a Norman church.
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29 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
    13
    11
    4
    1
    0
Date Rating
Santa Fe
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 April 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We had no quarrel with having to go with a guide--it is their site after all and it is hard to maintain. But the guide was a power hungry tyrant, the tour was limited in scope and duration, and she conveyed no information that wasn't in the Blue Guide. More

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See 4 more reviews by SantaFeHiker for Syracuse
Vicenza, Italy
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 April 2012

If you've never visited a crypt/underground cemetary before, consider visiting this site. I would argue that this place is not as spooky as some have said. Yes, the dead were once stored here, so if that thought alone is unsettling, than you may have issues with the tour. But there are no longer any remains of the dead - which... More

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See 2 more reviews by Vicenza4 for Syracuse
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Senior Contributor
31 reviews 31 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 April 2012

These were great catacombs, even though many of the departed had been 'removed' during the bombings of WWII. The tour guide did a very nice job with her limited English, much better than we could have done with our very much more limited Italian. More

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See 8 more reviews by spk52819 for Syracuse
Washington DC
Senior Contributor
27 reviews 27 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 November 2011

Only shown by tour, it was interesting but spooky. More

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See 8 more reviews by DCTraveler058 for Syracuse
Perth, Australia
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
Reviews in 18 cities Reviews in 18 cities
21 helpful votes 21 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 November 2011
1
person found this review helpful

A fascinating place and I left wanting to know more about it. Tours run every 15 to 30 minutes and the guides are very knowledgeable. Languages are limited to English, Italian and German. More

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See 6 more reviews by Rickbarrett for Syracuse
Dundalk, Ireland
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 November 2011

well wort a visit Very intresting and histoical Excellent tour guide who realy knew her stuff More

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Roeselare
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 November 2011
1
person found this review helpful

We never visited catacombes and we were very impressed by this visit. The way people had to hide and live there must have been really hard. The guide told us a lot of interesting stories and details but was not very kind. More

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See 4 more reviews by goldflute for Syracuse
Willits, California
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 October 2011

This is a must see! The cost is €6 and is well worth it. It takes less than a hour and is very interesting. The tombs themselves are not low ceilinged. If in doubt take your Xanax . More

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See 4 more reviews by Patrick C for Syracuse
Poznan, Poland
Contributor
19 reviews 19 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 September 2011

The entrance fee is 6 euros and the tour takes about 45 mins. You'll visit the crypt and the catacombs. The guide speaks Italian and English giving all the interesting details. More

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See 3 more reviews by BG_Poz for Syracuse
Edinburgh
Senior Contributor
28 reviews 28 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
36 helpful votes 36 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 September 2011
1
person found this review helpful

These catacombs are situated underneath a semi-ruined church, next door to the Archaeological Museum (Paolo Orsi) and are worth a visit. Entry is 6 euros for a guided tour (in English and Italian) that lasts about 30mins (last tour is about 6pm). If you ask really nicely your guide may allow you a bit longer to snoop around the various... More

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See 4 more reviews by BenPaton for Syracuse

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