Basilica-sanctuary Madonna delle Lacrime

The church of San Nicolò ai Cordari was built in the Norman period, immediately after the period of Arab domination in the city of Syracuse. In 1577, the church was granted to the cordari (rope makers) who worked their ropes in the limestone quarries of Neapolis, located beyond the church. With the establishment of the Neapolis Archaeological Park in 1955, it became the headquarters of the information office for visitors preparing to tour the vast archaeological park. The church was and still is the entrance to the park. It now houses a small photographic museum which exhibits period photographs of all the Syracuse monuments located in the Neapolis Archaeological Park.

The church of St. Lucia was built around 1100 by the Normans with a basilica plan closed by apses. Later additions and modifications have changed its appearance since the 14th century when the rose window on the façade was added. Further modifications were made during the 17th century, probably by Giovanni Vermexio, who built the nearby Church of the Sepulchre shortly afterwards (1629), although there is no definite documentation on this. In 1693, the earthquake caused extensive damage, leading to the necessary reconstruction work, with the addition of the portico (1723-34) on the façade, attributed to Pompeo Picherali (collapsed in 1970 and then rebuilt), who was also responsible for the last commission for the tower in 1740.

The Cathedral of the Nativity of Mary Most Holy, built in the 7th century, is incorporated in what was the main sacred temple of Doric style of the Greek colony of Syracuse, dedicated to Athena. After being damaged during the earthquake in Sicily in 1693, it was restored in a rococo style in the 18th century. Since 2005, the cathedral is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.