The Grotta del Ninfeo is an artificial cavity in the rock of Temenite Hill (named after the Greek ''temenos'', "sacred precinct") located in the Archaeological park of Neapolis in Syracuse.

Terrace of Temenite Hill

The grotta is located near the highest part of the little rocky relief, on a rectangular terrace which verges on the

Greek theatre Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...

and opens at the centre of a stone wall where a closed portico in the form of an "L" was once found. At the entrance there were statues dedicated to the

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

s, three of which (dated to the 2nd century BC) are still preserved and are on display at the

Museo archeologico regionale Paolo Orsi The Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi of Syracuse, Sicily is one of the principal archaeological museums of Europe. History In 1780 the Bishop Alagona inaugurated the ''Museo del Seminario'' which became the ''Museo Civico'' near the arch ...

. The fountain is dedicated to the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

cult of the

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label= Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

s, nature goddesses. The name nymphaeum for a monumental, decorated fountain derives from this. The Syracusan nymphaeum is thought to have been the ancient location of the ''Mouseion'' (the sanctuary of the Muses), seat of the artistic guild, where the Syracusan actors gathered before descending into the theatre to put on

comedies Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term origin ...

and

tragedies Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...

in the time of

Epicharmus Epicharmus of Kos or Epicharmus Comicus or Epicharmus Comicus Syracusanus ( grc-gre, Ἐπίχαρμος ὁ Κῷος), thought to have lived between c. 550 and c. 460 BC, was a Greek dramatist and philosopher who is often credited with ...

and

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...

. Regarding the Grotta del Ninfeo, the Syracusan Giuseppe Politi wrote in the nineteenth century: The grotto has a

vaulted In architecture, a vault (French ''voûte'', from Italian ''volta'') is a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof. As in building an arch, a temporary support is needed while ring ...

ceiling and inside it there is a rectangular tub in which the water collects before cascading from a cavity located at the bottom of the rock wall. Next to the entrance, there are some votive

aedicula In ancient Roman religion, an ''aedicula'' (plural ''aediculae'') is a small shrine, and in classical architecture refers to a niche covered by a pediment or entablature supported by a pair of columns and typically framing a statue,"aedicula, ...

which were used for hero cults (''Pinakes''). To the east of the Grotta del Ninfeo, the last

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

from the Spanish period remains visible even today. It took water from the grotta and redirected it into the theatre after using it to mill grain. From nymphaeum, one continues to the Via dei Sepolcri and from there to the summit of the hill, where there are other Graeco-Roman monuments. Ninfeo Houel

The water that flows into the Grotta derives from two separate

aqueducts Aqueduct may refer to: Structures *Aqueduct (bridge), a bridge to convey water over an obstacle, such as a ravine or valley *Navigable aqueduct, or water bridge, a structure to carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railw ...

, both of Greek date; one is called the ''Acquedotto del Ninfeo'' (Nymphaeum Aqueduct) after the Grotta, while the other is the Galermi Aqueduct.

Depiction by Jean Hoüel

During one of his trips to Syracuse in the second half of the 1700s, the painter Jean-Pierre Houël depicted the Grotta del Ninfeo as he found it. The

gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouache ...

shows a much deeper grotta than today, with water descending towards the theatre, where the mills were installed. In the grotta, some women are busy making cloth.

Gallery

File:Teatro Greco di Siracusa - Mulino ad acqua.jpg, The final steps of the Greek theatre, the Casetta dei mugnai and the cavity of the Grotta del Ninfeo in the distance File:Ninfeo - Siracusa.jpg, Image of the Temenite terrace from inside one of its cavities File:Terrazzo Colle Temenite - Siracusa (Sicilia).jpg, The votive aediculae in the rock wall of the hill near the nympaeum

References

External links

Grotta del Ninfeo - IbmsNet

assindustria - Grotta del Ninfeo - SiracusaParco Archeologico della Neapolis - Grotta del NinfeoSiracusa - Parco archeologico della Neapoli - Grotta del Ninfeo - Sevaistre, Eugène
{{Authority control Fountains in Italy Grottoes Ancient Syracuse Archaeological sites in Sicily

Terrace of Temenite Hill

Depiction by Jean Hoüel

Gallery

See also

References

External links