Description of the attraction
Ear of Dionysius is an artificial limestone cave carved into the Temenite cliffs in Syracuse. The name of this tourist attraction comes from its resemblance to the shape of the human ear.
Probably, the Ear of Dionysius was formed on the site of an ancient quarry for which the city was famous. The cave is 23 meters high, and its length is 65 meters deep into the cliff. If you look at it from above, you can see that the cave has a bend in the shape of the letter S. And the entrance to the cave is shaped like a drop. It is because of this shape that the cave has incredibly good acoustics - even a quiet whisper is heard throughout the room.
The cave got its name in 1586, and it was invented by none other than the great Italian artist Caravaggio. The name refers to the tyrant from Syracuse, Dionysius I. According to the legend (possibly also invented by Caravaggio), Dionysius used this cave as a prison for his political opponents and, thanks to wonderful acoustics, overheard their plans and ferret out secrets. Another, more terrible, legend says that Dionysius ordered to knock out the cave in the shape of an ear, so that it amplified the screams of the prisoners who were brutally tortured here. Unfortunately, today it is no longer possible to enjoy that great acoustics, since access to its central point is closed.
By the way, Dionysius' ear is also called a type of hearing tube with a flexible hose, and this term is also used to refer to surveillance, especially for political purposes.
But in general, there are very serious reasons to believe that the cave is still of natural origin. Since it is located on a low slope of a hard rock, it may have formed as a result of rainfall in prehistoric times. Similar canyon-shaped formations can be seen in abundance in the US state of Utah. The narrowness of the upper part of the cave and the widening in the lower part, along with the serpentine-like shape, are also characteristic of slotted canyons. And the literally polished walls are further proof of the long-lasting effect of the water. Such a natural attraction, combined with incredible acoustics, most likely led to the fact that the ancient people considered this place sacred, and therefore it is well preserved.
