Siracusa - Piazza Santa Lucia

The center of the thickly populated Tyche quarter of Syracuse, now known as Santa Lucia, is the large Piazza Santa Lucia, a square studded with rows of trees and lawns. Its northern end is filled by the church of the same name and - to its right - the octagonal 17th century Chiesa del Sepolchro, with the Tomb of St Lucia, the patron saint of Syracuse who, accompanied by her sick mother, went on a pilgrimage to St Agatha in Catania. The saint prayed for the mother, who was cured, and Lucia gave all she owned to the poor. She was murdered for her faith when Diocletian persecuted the Christians in 304. Her day is 13th December. The mausoleum can be visited from the church in the company of one of the Brothers. However, the Catacombs under the church and square are not accessible to the public.