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299:οἱ δὲ δυνατοὶ αἰσθόμενοι Συρακοσίους τε ἐπάγονται καὶ ἐκβάλλουσι τὸν δῆμον. καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐπλανήθησαν ὡς ἕκαστοι, οἱ δὲ δυνατοὶ ὁμολογήσαντες Συρακοσίοις καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἐκλιπόντες καὶ ἐρημώσαντες Συρακούσας ἐπὶ πολιτείᾳ ᾤκησαν. καὶ ὕστερον πάλιν αὐτῶν τινὲς διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀρέσκεσθαι ἀπολιπόντες ἐκ τῶν Συρακουσῶν Φωκαίας τε τῆς πόλεώς τι τῆς Λεοντίνων χωρίον καλούμενον καταλαμβάνουσι καὶ Βρικιννίας ὂν ἔρυμα ἐν τῇ Λεοντίνῃ.
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hold up large stones. These are like beams, supporting small stones which alternate with them. Many slabs are missing and I depict the whole structure in the state of degradation in which it is seen. There is a large gate, a small version of which can be seen in the picture as well: the mass was celebrated there when devotees of Saint Basil occupied this place
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Currently the area is completely abandoned. There is no form of protection or plans to install security. Inside, the site is increasingly thick with vegetation which prevents inspection and some of the remains are in danger of collapse. There are traces of illegal excavation all across the mountain.
311:
and expelled the populus. They had to make their own way, while the powerful made an agreement with the
Syracusans, abandoned their city and left it desolate, settling with the community at Syracuse. Later some of them left Syracuse and came back because they were not happy and settled in a part of
241:
who first investigated its possible functions. He theorised that it was a cistern used to supply water to soldiers present in the fortified area. The remains of fortifications of the Greek period are actually visible around the mountain, which allow one to imagine a purely military use of the site,
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I could not represent this subterranean place (a kind of basement) except in a cut-away view. It has a square plan - see A at the bottom of the print. It is reached by descending down staircase B, which is located at the right corner, next to the pilasters which are finished with stone elements and
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I have included in the print a plan of the building with the intention of giving an exact idea of its shape and details: D is the location in which the mass was celebrated. There is a clearly visible sarcophagus in the position indicated by an E, with a curved entrance. I believe however that the
268:
After Paolo Orsi, the site was not subject to further archaeological excavation and as a result information on it is scarce. However, a different hypothetical function has been suggested for the structure - as a granary rather than a reservoir. The site later became associated with the ancient
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At the base of this mountain there are enormous grottos, part of which are taken up by tombs. This proves that this was the location of a city. The residences just mentioned on the summit of the mountain testify that this was the principal part of
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A little way away is the imposing structure itself, carved in the limestone rock and measuring 18 x 16 metres, with 32 columns designed to support rock slabs. Part of the structure has collapsed, but many of the columns remain standing.
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I am convinced that the structure was originally a massive cistern; but this should not astound: the ancients loved to give beautiful forms to everything they created and knew how to combine strength with good
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Sul Colle di S. Basilio volgarmente detto Casale, sulla prima popolazione che vi stanziò su i monumenti e le dominazioni di
Bricinnia quivi impiantata e sulle sociali vicisitudini in cui essa fu involta
211:
These are the remains of a beautiful building of which nothing is known, not even the name. The collection of structures around it can be nothing other than the residences of noble and wealthy lords.
249:
The structure was later reused by the
Byzantines, who converted it into a church. Some traces of religious frescoes are even visible on some of the columns, but they are not legible.
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The summit of the mountain shows trances of ancient settlement from the prehistoric period, with clear traces of the postholes of a hut, probably belonging to the
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sarcophagi were carved into the rock at a time after the structure served as cistern and that they were produced after the transformation into a church.
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Throughout the area, various hypogeic structures of unclear purpose are visible, as well as a small temple of
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structure, which take their name from the mountain of San
Basilio where they are located, in the territory of
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However the absence of any decisive elements and of archaeological evidence prevents any certainty.
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Jean Hoüel: voyage a
Siracusa : le antichità della città e del suo territorio nel 1777
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Jean Hoüel: voyage a
Siracusa : le antichità della città e del suo territorio nel 1777
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who drew some sketches of it in 1777, along with some interesting written testimony:
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the city of
Leontinoi called Phokaiai and at Brikinniai, a stronghold in Leontinoi.
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The scale of the monument drew the attention of the traveller
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But the powerful learned about this , called in the
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Buildings and structures in the
Province of Syracuse
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380:Postholes of nearby huts of the prehistoric period
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483:Dizionario topografico della Sicilia
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38:Columns of San Basilio from the side
471:Francesca Gringeri Pantano (2003).
441:Francesca Gringeri Pantano (2003).
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206:View of the columns from the right
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486:. Tip. Pietro Morvillo. p.
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280:History of the Peloponnesian War
492:colonne di san basilio lentini.
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1075:Archaeological sites in Sicily
913:Roman amphitheatre of Syracuse
653:Polizzello archaeological site
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1:
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237:But it was the archaeologist
160:(Columns of St Basil) are an
356:Traces of fresco on a column
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757:Ancient theatre of Taormina
696:Sant'Ippolito (Caltagirone)
392:View from Mount San Basilio
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505:The Colonne di San Basilio
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933:Greek Theatre of Syracuse
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618:Province of Caltanissetta
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246:and the city of Lentini.
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1054:Roman furnaces in Alcamo
970:Villa Romana del Tellaro
541:Archaeological sites in
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960:Necropolis of Pantalica
955:Necropolis of Cassibile
724:Villa Romana del Casale
585:Temple of Olympian Zeus
460:Mario de Mauro (1861).
198:Depiction of Jean Houel
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16:Ancient Greek structure
888:Colonne di San Basilio
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158:Colonne di San Basilio
26:Colonne di San Basilio
20:Columns of San Basilio
767:Villa Romana di Patti
551:Province of Agrigento
426:Ancient Greece portal
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858:Province of Syracuse
475:. Palermo: Sellerio.
445:. Palermo: Sellerio.
242:which dominates the
1007:Grotta del Genovese
980:Province of Trapani
883:Cava del Rivettazzo
790:Grotta dell'Addaura
777:Province of Palermo
734:Province of Messina
673:Province of Catania
636:Greek baths of Gela
573:Temple of Concordia
480:Vito Amico (1855).
303:Thucydides 5.4.3-4
178:Casteluccio culture
89:37.3369°N 14.8547°E
85: /
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825:Province of Ragusa
577:Temple of Heracles
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147:Public access
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938:Grotta del Ninfeo
322:State of the site
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189:Jean-Pierre Houël
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948:Temple of Apollo
943:Temple of Athena
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273:mentioned by
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162:ancient Greek
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122:Ancient Greek
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1047:Cave di Cusa
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838:Hybla Heraea
681:Aetna (city)
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454:Bibliography
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663:Vassallaggi
643:Gibil Gabib
92: /
68:Coordinates
1069:Categories
908:Syrakousai
719:Morgantina
398:References
309:Syracusans
275:Thucydides
239:Paolo Orsi
232:Jean Houel
141:Paolo Orsi
132:Site notes
80:14°51′17″E
77:37°20′13″N
1027:Selinunte
742:Abacaenum
714:Centuripe
507:(Italian)
271:Brikinnai
126:Byzantine
1042:Temple F
1037:Temple E
1032:Temple C
1002:Halyciae
997:Drepanum
878:Casmenae
843:Kamarina
833:Akrillai
815:Soluntum
658:Sabucina
292:English
230:—
118:Cultures
44:Location
1022:Segesta
965:Thapsos
893:Helorus
871:Santoni
848:Kaukana
795:Hippana
785:Entella
762:Tindari
747:Halaesa
564:Akragas
331:Gallery
277:in the
254:Demeter
166:Lentini
113:History
48:Lentini
810:Pirama
805:Himera
691:Palike
686:Katáne
543:Sicily
289:Greek
222:taste.
58:Sicily
54:Region
1017:Motya
992:Erice
898:Netum
866:Akrai
800:Ietas
752:Naxos
62:Italy
988:Eryx
626:Gela
258:Kore
256:and
172:Site
156:The
124:and
105:Type
488:131
150:yes
1071::
583:-
579:-
575:-
571:-
490:.
283::
260:.
227:it
180:.
168:.
60:,
990:/
534:e
527:t
520:v
466:.
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