Overview

At the Syracuse Narrative Museum: a virtual journey through time

Would you like to be teleported back to 415 BC into the battle between the Spartans and the Athenians? Come to Syracuse, where at Punta Maddalena you can try it at Limen - Museo Narrativo del Porto Grande. Just put on your VR visor and find yourself catapulted into distant eras, taking a virtual journey through the city's historical highlights. The immersive experience continues at sea, on board ancient boats or with an underwater tour of the rich seabed, discovering nature through augmented reality.

From the temple of Athena to Admiral Nelson

Founded in 734 BC by colonists from Corinth, Syracuse witnessed crucial historical events to which the city bears precious testimony still today. At the Narrative Museum we can discover them all. We witness the Athenian defeat, then the Roman siege with the machines of Archimedes: ingenious instruments of war that the epic says were built by the mathematician and inventor to defend Syracuse. They are gigantic catapults and burning mirrors, huge concave sheets of bronze capable of concentrating the sun's rays and burning Roman ships even at great distances. We are spectators of Admiral Nelson's passage until the landing of the Allies in 1943. History also flows through the archaeological reconstructions and it is possible to see the temple of Athena in all its splendour.

At the bottom of the sea: with hi-tech glasses

The Museo Narrativo del Porto Grande is located in the former barracks of Punta del Pero, on the Maddalena Peninsula, on a splendid stretch of sea in Syracuse, a city that Cicero described as “the greatest and most beautiful of all Greek cities”. We are in the Plemmirio Marine Protected Area, where several places prohibit water sports and diving to protect the ecosystem. With hyper-technological goggles, one plumbs the depths, including the forbidden ones, in adventurous virtual dives into the clear waters, discovering flora and fauna, as well as marine archaeology. Augmented reality also makes it possible to board ancient ships, from Greek to Catalan. The greatest thrill is felt on a Liburna, a Roman warship. The virtual reality developed by the museum is also aimed at the inclusion of people with disabilities. Multisensory experiences here are for everyone.

In children's workshops, virtual walks and biodiversity

Many have collaborated on the Porto Grande Narrative Museum, including archaeologists, engineers, historians, cultural heritage experts and naturalists. The latter supervised the creation of children's workshops, also suitable for teenagers and adults. One finds oneself exploring nature in all its aspects, through virtual exploratory walks, nature trails to discover the area and its rich biodiversity. Or you can try your hand at a workshop entirely designed to introduce the history of Porto Grande.

Afterwards, diving and canoeing: but for real!

The Maddalena Peninsula, where the Museo Narrativo del Porto Grande is located, is a well-known centre for sea-related sports activities, in particular sailing as well as canoeing, SUP and diving. Stay a few more hours after visiting the museum. Outside virtual reality, you can indulge in your favourite aquatic activity. In addition, the easy access to the beach allows everyone to enjoy a moment of leisure: children, experts or beginners, and here too special attention is paid to people with disabilities.