Among the scents of citrus and the sea, with Etna in the background: in one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Mediterranean, the remains of ancient Naxos let us know the urban planning of archaic Greek cities.

Giardini Naxos is an unmissable destination for sea and nature lovers. The first Greek colony in Sicily, allied with Athens during the Peloponnesian War, it was razed to the ground in 413 BC to favor the birth of Taormina. It remained a quiet fishing village until the 1970s. Nowadays, it is one of the most visited cities in Italy with wonderful beaches, monuments and clubs. Discover all the cultural activities available right now and buy your ticket directly online (safely and with just a few clicks!).


Giardini Naxos

Entrance ticket to the Park is NOT included! 

ATTENTION

MEETING POINT

In 735 BC, a ship from Greece landed in the bay formed by the lava peninsula of Schisò and an urban settlement took root around this newly discovered natural harbour. Many settlers arrived from the Cyclades, and they were so enchanted by the beauty of the place that they gave the new city the name of their homeland: they called it **Naxos**, after the island they came from.

In the first decades of the 5th century BC, a new orthogonal layout was erected on the remains of the archaic settlement, retaining the previous ring of ancient cyclopean fortification walls. Three large streets oriented in an east-west direction intersect with narrower streets running north-south, an urban grid that delimits city blocks. The work is imposing, and the construction technique reveals its Greek island matrix. 

The Giardini Naxos Park was created around the archaeological area proper and gradually became a '**widespread park**': today it also includes municipalities such as Taormina and Francavilla di Sicilia that have ensured the long-term continuity of the original settlement. Among the areas managed by the Park are complexes of landscape (Isola Bella and Villa Caronia) and monumental value (Schisò Castle overlooking the bay of Giardini Naxos, Palazzo Ciampoli and Castel Tauro in Taormina, the Church of Saints Peter and Paul of Agrò in Casalvecchio Siculo). 

Visit it with an expert guide!

large_naxos-slide3 - Modificata (1).png

medium_naxos-slide3 - Modificata (1).png

small_naxos-slide3 - Modificata (1).png

thumbnail_naxos-slide3 - Modificata (1).png

naxos-slide3 - Modificata (1).png

ParcoArcheoNaxosTaormina_0042-1920x1079 - Modificata (1).png

large_ParcoArcheoNaxosTaormina_0042-1920x1079 - Modificata (1).png

medium_ParcoArcheoNaxosTaormina_0042-1920x1079 - Modificata (1).png

small_ParcoArcheoNaxosTaormina_0042-1920x1079 - Modificata (1).png

thumbnail_ParcoArcheoNaxosTaormina_0042-1920x1079 - Modificata (1).png

2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata (1).png

large_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata (1).png

medium_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata (1).png

small_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata (1).png

thumbnail_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata (1).png

medium_parco6 - Modificata (1).png

small_parco6 - Modificata (1).png

thumbnail_parco6 - Modificata (1).png

parco6 - Modificata (1).png

large_naxos-slide2.jpg

medium_naxos-slide2.jpg

small_naxos-slide2.jpg

thumbnail_naxos-slide2.jpg

naxos-slide2.jpg

2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata.png

large_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata.png

medium_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata.png

small_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata.png

thumbnail_2018-07-16_10-24-36_059-1024x768 - Modificata.png

Guided Tour Naxos Archeological Area

Expert Guide

Guided tour conducted by professional tourist guides, educational operators or expert archaeologists.

Naxos Archeological Area Guided Tour 

**Naxos: Greek civilisation reaches Sicily**

In 735 BC, a ship from Greece landed in the bay formed by the lava peninsula of Schisò and an urban settlement took root around this newly discovered natural harbour. Many settlers arrived from the Cyclades, and they were so enchanted by the beauty of the place that they gave the new city the name of their homeland: they called it **Naxos**, after the island they came from.

In the first decades of the 5th century BC, a new orthogonal layout was erected on the remains of the archaic settlement, retaining the previous ring of ancient cyclopic fortification walls. Three large streets oriented in an east-west direction intersect with narrower streets running north-south, an urban grid that delimits city blocks. The work is imposing, and the construction technique reveals its Greek island matrix. 

**Between Athens and Syracuse**

The new **Naxos** became a maritime city with an agora, a naval arsenal and its own fleet of triremes. The city also had great symbolic importance for the Greeks: its altar to Apollo Archegetes was the point of departure for envoys of the Greek cities of Sicily on missions to the motherland. A minor commercial and military power that, when the Second Peloponnesian War broke out, did not hesitate to side with Athens against Syracuse. But Athens was defeated; the tyrant Dionysius the Elder took revenge and punished Naxos by razing it to the ground.

**A park spanning time and space**

The **Giardini Naxos Park** brings together this layered heritage in one of eastern Sicily’s most evocative destinations. The park was created around the archaeological area and gradually became a "widespread park": today it also includes municipalities such as Taormina and Francavilla di Sicilia that have ensured the long-term continuity of the original settlement. Among the areas managed by the Park are complexes of landscape (**Isola Bella and Villa Caronia**) and monumental value (**Schisò Castle** overlooking the bay of Giardini Naxos, **Palazzo Ciampoli** and **Castel Tauro** in Taormina, the **Church of Saints Peter and Paul of Agrò** in Casalvecchio Siculo).
 
**Giardini Naxos and Taormina Archaeological Museum**

Inside the park is the **Giardini Naxos and Taormina Archaeological Museum** which contains, alongside a core of purchased or donated materials, finds from excavations conducted on the site. Research in the area has led to the identification of the necropolis of Cocolonazzo, which shows an early settlement of Siculians in peaceful coexistence with the Greeks. 
The museum contains painted ‘Siceliot’-type architectural terracottas, which decorated the roofs of sacred buildings. Especially noteworthy is the reconstruction of a large slab depicting a Gorgon, which decorated the pediment of a building belonging to one of the two sanctuaries. Silenus mask tiles produced in Naxos from the late 6th to the 5th century BC are also on display. Found in various contexts, the Silenes are linked to the cult of Dionysius (god of wine and theatre, but also of the underworld), whose iconography is widespread on Naxos and also appears on coins. Outside the museum, the 16th-century coastal tower houses the underwater section with exhibits from the **bay of Naxos and Taormina**.

**Reuniting what history has divided: the Heidelberg-Naxos altar**

Also on show at the **Giardini Naxos Archaeological Museum** is the **Heidelberg-Naxos** altar, which depicts two opposing sphinxes on either side of a floral pattern. It is not only a beautiful piece of ancient art: it is an exemplary story of how a cultural project can be shared. 
A fragment of the terracotta altar (àrula) was part of the collection of the Antikenmuseum of the **University of Heidelberg**; the other half was acquired by the **Naxos Museum** in the 1970s. The transaction that led to the reassembly of the two fragments was long and arduous, but its success has great symbolic value: thanks to collaboration between institutions in different countries, it has been possible to recompose the two halves of a work that had been separated for hundreds of years - perhaps for millennia. 


The first Greek colony in Sicily

Giardini Naxos Archaeological Museum and Site

A "WIDESPREAD ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK" AT THE SITE OF THE FIRST GREEK COLONY IN SICILY

Amidst the aromas of citrus fruit and the sea, with Mount Etna in the background: in one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Mediterranean, the evolution of one of the most important Hellenic communities - also mentioned by Thucydides. The remains of ancient Naxos give us an insight into the urban planning of archaic Greek cities.

Guided Tour

Ostia antica

Ostia Antica Archaeological Park it’s one of the biggest and most important archaeological areas of Italy, capable of offering an authentic immersion in an ancient Roman city surrounded by lush mediterranean nature. 

Ostia Antica

Take a break immersed in the history of one of the largest archaeological parks in the world! The Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica is waiting for you!

Scavi Cafè

Taormina

Taormina, Pearl of the Ionian Sea, it’s one of the places where modern élite tourism was born. Here nature, art and history encounter: the beauty of the landscape combines with the memory of all Mediterranean cultures. 


Taormina Ancient Theatre

Immersed in the natural beauty of the Ancient Theatre of Taormina, every break at the Belvedere Café becomes a memorable experience. 

Belvedere Cafè

Syracuse

Simbolo dell’espansione urbana di Siracusa ai tempi del tiranno Gelone, Neapolis è diventata oggi un’oasi protetta, con un Parco Acheologico immerso in uno straordinario scenario naturale. L’emozione di passeggiare in un teatro dove Eschilo metteva in scena le sue opere 2.500 anni fa.

Neapolis Archaeological Park - Momento Caffetteria

A unique place to take a break in the heart of the Archaeological Park of Neapolis

Momento Cafè 

A symbol of Syracuse's urban expansion at the time of the tyrant Gelon, Neapolis has now become a protected oasis, with an Archaeological Park located in an extraordinary natural setting. The thrill of walking through a theatre where Aeschylus staged his plays 2,500 years ago.


Neapolis Archaeological Park - Momento Restaurant

An oasis of peace where you can taste the traditional Sicilian dishes with your gaze turned towards the beauty of the Archaeological Park of Neapolis

Guided Tour Naxos Archeological Area

Notices(2)

Includes

Description

Where

Privacy Statement